Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gelling agents for use in food production and more particularly to the use of modified starch from specific ae waxy corn endosperm genotypes to form a thermal-reversible gelling agent having good gel strength and rheological properties.
Corn has many genes affecting amylopectin structure and amylopectin/amylose ratio in starch. One is Wx or waxy. The recessive waxy allele (wx) reduces the amount of amylose present in starch. Another is Ae or amylose-extender. The recessive amylose-extender allele (ae) increases the straight chain length of amylopectin. The genes complexly interact as dominant and additive gene effects affect both the amount of starch and its structure. Starches from various corn genotypes and corn endosperm genotypes are used in the food industry for many purposes, but have proved to be of limited use in making thermal reversible gels. For example, enzymatically debranched waxy maize has been shown to form reversible gels but acid hydrolyzed waxy maize cannot.
Thermal-reversible gels are substances that transition into and out of the gel phase depending on conditions, like heat. They are important in the food industry for, among other things, controlling sensory properties. A need exists for a corn starch that is able to make stronger thermal-reversible gels after using a broader set of modifications.