High-Amylose Starches: From Biosynthesis to Their Use as Food Ingredients

Abstract

Starch is a versatile food ingredient and is widely used in numerous food and industrial applications. Whether in its native form, or modified1 through chemical substitution and/or physical modification (e.g., annealing), starch is used as a texturizer, gelling agent, thickener, adhesive, and moisture-retainer. Starches also provide an essential carbohydrate energy source and are obtained from roots, rootlike or tuberous plants, and cereals, all of which possess unique starch chemistries that impact their properties and function as food ingredients.