The present invention is concerned with preparing a starch composition which, when added to a dry mix containing acid and subjected to storage conditions, is resistant to degradation of the starch by the acid. This starch composition is especially usefull in dry dessert mixes, for example, acidic dry instant pudding mixes, which contain sufficient acid to degrade the starch under storage. This invention by providing an acid resistant dry starch avoids the necessity of using expensive coated acids to prevent such starch degradation under storage conditions. When dry starch is exposed to acid under dry storage conditions the starch undergoes hydrolysis and the resultant degraded starch when hydrated, generally loses viscosity and tends to produce a softer, looser or qummier texture as compared to the starch prior to storage.
The art discloses coating acid to prevent acid from interacting with the other ingredients of a dry mix. While this method does prevent the acid from interacting and degrading the starch, it is generally not suitable for a system where fast acid release is desired upon hydrating the dry mix, since the coating on the acid must be dissolved or melted before the acid is released. Additionally, a coated acid is expensive, and a dry mix containing a coated acid requires a low moisture content to prevent the coating from being dissolved and releasing the acid prematurely during storage and degrading the starch. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,031,308, 3,434,848, 3,666,493, and 3,770,461 disclose the use of a buffer, such as sodium citrate, in an acidic product containing starch to maintain a desired pH in a final hydrated product for flavor. However, these systems do not protect the starch in that they do not provide that the buffer is co-dried with the starch or that the buffer will provide a protective environment for the starch against the acid under dry storage conditions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a starch which is resistant to acid degradation under dry storage conditions.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dry mix containing starch and acid in which the starch and acid do not interact to degrade the starch during storage, and upon hydration of the dry mix a tasty acidic product with a desireable fresh starch flavor, texture and viscosity is obtained.
It is still a further object of this invention to prepare a dry dessert mix containing starch and acid in which the starch is stable against acid degradation under dry storage conditions.