The Overview of Functional Starch

Starch is a staple constituent of foodstuffs and energy source in the human diet. In many cases, its practical use is limited because of its lack of versatility to function adequately in the whole range of food product. Functional starch is designated as chemical, physical, or enzymatical modified starch with specific functional properties such as physiological function, healthy benefits, absorption function, sustained slow energy release, and other functions. Functional starches such as slowly digestible starch, resistant starch, porous starch, starch microemulsions, nano-sized starch, and starch copolymers are the dominating varieties that can be used in the food industry. Nowadays, the preparation of functional starch is an ongoing process as there are numerous possibilities, resulting from an evolution of new processing technologies and market trends. This chapter reviewed the current state of knowledge on functional starch. Particular emphasis was placed on the definition, classification, and characterization of functional starch in the food industry. The preparation and application of functional starches were overviewed, which gave a brief introduction for the following chapters.