The search for new natural starches for the food industry

• Grant number: 98/01649-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: June 01, 1999
• End date: February 29, 2004
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Marney Pascoli Cereda
• Grantee: Marney Pascoli Cereda
• Host Institution: Centro de Raízes e Amidos Tropicais (CERAT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research aims to valorize tropical cultures containing starch, with the search for new markets. In the world, food industry is the main starch consumer, either in native forms, than in modified and hydrolyzed forms. In developed countries ready to cat food, such as salad dressing, frozen and conserves, are containing modified starches. The discovery of new food starches through modifications is getting more and more difficult. The protection norms for consumer tend to be more and more rigorous and consumers ask for products more and more natural. On the other hand, necessities of food companies are getting more complex, with the processing of elaborated food. This evolution explains why starch industry is looking for new products, able to attend necessities of consumers as well than of food industry. Limitations in the production of new chemical modifications incentive companies to focused in the search for new raw materials. Because of the limited number of starch raw material in Europe and United States, most of researches focalized on modification of available varieties (waxy raw material, high amilose, etc.). New cultures are also introduced, such as amaranth, a plant that presents small starch granules. However, climatic limitations in the developed countries limit possibilities for the introduction of new varieties. On the other hand, tropical countries benefit of large amount of unutilized and 1 or unknown starchy cultures, and whose characteristics could be interesting for some food uses. This statement is reinforced when it is verified that, among the five raw world most used materials for starch production, four are of tropical origin, potato, corn, cassava and rice. These reflections led us to the proposal of three scientific hypotheses: Exist markets interested in buying starches, with special properties for use in food industry. Exist high probabilities to discover some of these starches in tropical cultures. Exist possibilities to introduce some of these special properties in commercial cultures, with the help of biotechnology. Will participate of the project, specialists of market, starch technology, biotechnology and agronomy. The works will focused on the search for natural starches originated from tropical cultures, for use in food industry. The interactions among researchers will begin with demand, identified by market research. The demand will be transcribed in functional starch properties(color, flavor, texture, processing resistance). These characteristics will be related with molecular structure of starch (amylose/amylopectin ratão, granules size, level of polymer, phosphorous content, other components, etc.). Once established these relationships, it will be possible to identify the best tropical cultures in relation to market demand. If no culture can be identified, the needed starches will be introduced by genetic procedures. Each selected plant, with or without genetic modification, will be cultivated in experiment fields for evaluation of its productivity. After this evaluation, the selected cultures will be multiplied for the obtainment of starch to be tested in food companies. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PATRÍCIA VIEIRA SUTIL DE OLIVEIRA ROESLER; SIMONE DAMASCENO GOMES; EDEMAR MORO; ANA CAROLINA BARBOSA KUMMER; MARNEY PASCOLI CEREDA. Produção e qualidade de raiz tuberosa de cultivares de batata-doce no oeste do Paraná. Acta Scientiarum. Agronomy, v. 30, n. 1, p. 117-122, 2008-03-00. (98/01649-9)

DAIUTO‚ E.; CEREDA‚ M.; SARMENTO‚ S.; VILPOUX‚ O.. Effects of extraction methods on yam (Dioscorea alata) starch characteristics. STARCH-STÄRKE, v. 57, n. 3-4, p. 153-160, 2005. (98/01649-9)

ROESLER‚ P.V.S.O.; GOMES‚ S.D.; MORO‚ E.; KUMMER‚ A.C.B.; CEREDA‚ M.P.. Produção e qualidade de raiz tuberosa de cultivares de batata-doce no Oeste do Paraná-DOI: 10.4025/actasciagron. v30i1. 1159. Acta Scientiarum. Agronomy, v. 30, n. 1, p. 117-122, 2008. (98/01649-9)