Page 28 - FoodFocusThailand No.241 May 2026

SPECIAL FOCUS

Sustainable and Clean Label Functional Starch
Sustainable and clean label functional starches
are developed with an emphasis on environmentally
responsible production and ingredient transparency.
These starches include selected native starches or
physically and enzymatically modified starches designed
to enhance functional properties such as viscosity,
thermal stability, and freeze–thaw resistance, while
avoiding chemical modification .
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The clean-label concept integrates sustainable
sourcing, reduced energy use and waste generation,
and retention of essential functionalities, including
thickening, stabilization, and gel formation. Key
technologies include heat–moisture treatment, controlled
retrogradation, extrusion optimization, and enzymatic
chain restructuring .
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Functional starch is a food innovation driven by
health, environmental concerns, and modern consumer
production, particularly butyrate, which supports intestinal barrier behavior. It reflects the role of starch as a key ingredient in
function, inflammation regulation, and metabolic signaling. contemporary food systems. Ingredient developers must
Functionality therefore extends beyond digestion resistance continuously adapt and innovate to meet users’ needs
to structural design that enables selective fermentation in nutrition, sensory experience, and sustainability in a
and stimulation of microbes such as Bifidobacterium and balanced and integrated way.
Faecalibacterium .
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Key determinants include chain length, the proportion
of linkages resistant to starchdigesting enzymes, degree of
crystallinity, and water solubility, all of which influence amylase More Information Service Info C002
resistance and fermentation behavior. Development commonly
involves producing digestion-resistant dextrins via controlled heat
and acid treatment . เอกสารอ้างอิง / References
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Texture-Engineered and Fat Mimetic Starch Raghunathan, R., et al. Slowly digestible starch: a
Texture-engineered or fat mimetic starches are designed to biochemical engineering perspective on functional food
improve texture and impart a fatlike mouthfeel, enabling fat and development and metabolic health. Journal of Food
Measurement and Characterization. 2025, 19, 5197–5221.
calorie reduction while maintaining creaminess, viscosity, and https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-025-03322-6
softness. The core principle involves controlling particle size, 2 Pugh, J. E., et al. A comparison of the effects of resistant
granule swelling, gel formation, and rheological properties to starch types on glycemic response in individuals with type 2
create microgel structures or dispersed systems that provide diabetes or prediabetes: a systematic review and
flow resistance and lubrication comparable to fat droplets in metaanalysis. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2023, 10, 1118229.
emulsions . https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1118229
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Technologies include physical and chemical starch Baptista, N. T., et al. Harnessing the power of resistant starch:
modifications such as pregelatinization, crosslinking, and heat– a narrative review of its health impact and processing
challenges. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2024, 11, 1369950.
moisture treatment, as well as microparticulation via mechanical https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1369950
or enzymatic processes to enhance shear and thermal stability. 4 Yoo, S., et al. The role of prebiotics in modulating gut
Adjustment of the amylosetoamylopectin ratio further allows microbiota: implications for human health. International
control of viscosity and structural integrity . Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024, 25(9), 4834.
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Functional Carrier and Encapsulation Starch https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094834
Functional carriers or encapsulation starches are designed 5 Tekin, T.; Dincer, E. Effect of resistant starch types as a
to act as matrices for active compounds such as vitamins, prebiotic. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2023,
antioxidants, probiotics, flavors, essential oils, high-intensity 107, 491–515.
sweeteners, and unsaturated fatty acids. Their primary functions https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-022-12325-y
`
NikoliC, I., et al. Polysaccharidebased fat replacers in
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are to enhance stability, protect sensitive ingredients from heat, functional food products. Processes. 2024, 12(12), 2701.
light, oxygen, and moisture, and enable controlled release under https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12122701
specific conditions, including gastric, intestinal, or oral phases . 7 MontoyaYepes, D. F., et al. Starches in the encapsulation of
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These starches are structurally tailored to provide effective plant active ingredients: state of the art and research trends.
filmforming and emulsifying properties, combined with technologies Polymer Bulletin. 2024, 81, 135–163.
such as spray drying, fluidized bed coating, coacervation, and https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-023-04724-6
extrusion encapsulation. Enzymatic modification is also applied 8 Thomann, J. A., et al. Cleanlabel starch modifications: dry
to adjust chain length distribution, matrix strength, and release heat treatment in combination with ion exchange. Foods.
kinetics . 2026, 15(2), 246.
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https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15020246
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