Starch Pros

February 08^th 2022

Inspired by the always immaculate lotus leaf, researchers have developed a self-cleaning bioplastic that is sturdy, sustainable and compostable.

Inspired by the pristine lotus leaf, Australian scientists have engineered a quickly biodegradable yet self-cleaning plastic they say is ideal for packaging fresh and takeaway foods.

If successfully commercialised, the wholly compostable product would help reduce the almost 80 per cent of plastic waste left to accumulate as landfill or sloughed off as a litter.

Like the foliage of the Nelumbo nucifera blossom, the synthetically-engineered substance repels liquids and dirt, making it suitable to meet hygiene standards.

Once discarded, it then breaks down rapidly in the soil.

Lead author of the RMIT University project, PhD candidate Mehran Ghasemlou, says the bioplastic was created with mass production in mind.

“Plastic waste is one of our biggest environmental challenges but the alternatives we develop need to be both eco-friendly and cost-effective to have a chance of widespread use,” he said.

“We designed this new bioplastic with large-scale fabrication in mind, ensuring it was simple to make and could easily be integrated with industrial manufacturing processes.”

Although strong, the product is made from cheap and widely-available starch and cellulose to keep production costs low and support biodegradability.

Unlike other compostable plastics, its fabrication doesn’t require heating or industrial processing and would be simple to upscale to a roll-to-roll production line, Mr Ghasemlou says.

Neither does the new plastic need industrial intervention to biodegrade, with trials showing it breaks down naturally and quickly once exposed to bacteria and bugs in the soil.

“Our ultimate aim is to deliver packaging that could be added to backyard compost or thrown into a green bin alongside other organic waste,” Mr Ghasemlou said.

“The food waste can be composted together with the container it came in, to help prevent … contamination of recycling.”

Lotus leaves are known to have some of the most water-repellent surfaces on Earth and are almost impossible to get dirty.

The secret lies in the leaf’s surface structure, which is composed of tiny pillars topped with a waxy layer.

Water that lands on the leaf remains as droplets that roll off with the help of gravity or wind. They also sweep up dirt as they slide.

To emulate the effect, the RMIT team imprinted the surface of the plastic with a pattern that mimics the structure and coated with it a protective layer of PDMS, a silicon-based organic polymer.

Tests show it not only repels liquids and dirt effectively, it retains its self-cleaning properties after being scratched with abrasives and exposed to heat, acid and ethanol.

Co-author of the research Professor Benu Adhikari says the design overcomes the key challenges of starch-based materials.

“Starch is one of the most promising and versatile natural polymers but it is relatively fragile and highly susceptible to moisture,” he said.

“Through our bio-inspired engineering that mimics the ‘lotus effect’, we have delivered a highly-effective starch-based biodegradable plastic.”

Source: https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2022/feb/self-cleaning-bioplastic

February 02^nd 2022

Łódź scientists create revolutionary ‘heavy-duty’ biodegradable materials from modified starch.

Scientists from Łódź have solved a ‘long-standing problem’ after engineering an innovative new biodegradable, heavy-duty foil made from modified starch.

Although the use of starch in recycled materials is not new, previous attempts to apply it created materials that were weak and susceptible to tears.

But now the revolutionary development means that for the first time a starch material that is both biodegradable and durable can be used in the form of a thin foil for the production of bags, sachets and foil packaging for foodstuffs or cosmetics packed on trays.

It can also be used to make disposable single use trays and plates.

Team leader Professor Grażyna Budryn from the Łódź University of Technology said: “We were able, to a substantial degree, to overcome the defects thanks to the addition of an extra ingredient to the starch, an organic acid present in many grains, which in this case cause the cross-linking of the starch.

“This leads to a reduction in water absorption, gas permeability and tearing susceptibility of the foil modified in this way.”

In addition, the material also possesses anti-microbial properties, obtained through the addition of a natural substance, a chicory root extract.

The team are now working on an additional hydrophobic layer for their biodegradable foil which will make it useful also as a packaging for moist products.

Professor Budryn said: “The hydrophilic nature of the foil ensures that it can be easily and quickly biodegraded, however the applications of such a foil for the packaging of moist products is limited.

“Here natural hydrophobic layers based on lipids, can be useful…We plan to develop a variant of the foil with a hydrophobic layer, which will also be biodegradable.”

The team also included Professor Agnieszka Nowak and Dr Andrzej Jaśkiewicz.

Source: https://p.lodz.pl/en/about-tul/news/patent-biodegradable-foil-lodz-university-technology

January 31^st 2022

Plantcarb, spin out, start up for starch with 100% amylose.

Plantcarb ApS is a plant biotechnological spin out from Aarhus University and University of Copenhagen established by (among others) two scientists who – as the only ones in the world – have developed a method for producing agricultural crops whose starch consists of 100% amylose. Starch is composed of two kinds of molecules. One type branches off and is called amylopectin (~ 75%). The other does not branch out and is called amylose. The two forms have very different properties. Unlike amylopectin, amylose does not dissolve in the stomach for sugar. Amylose therefore prevents type-2 diabetes. And unlike amylopectin, amylose is an excellent raw material for compostable bioplastics. Plantcarb focuses on both food and industry. For food, a 100% amylose crop (HIAMBA®) is developed to be used for flour for bread. For industrial use, a variant of 100% amylose maize is bred.

See also: https://plantcarb.com/#home .

Source: https://international.au.dk/collaboration/technology-transfer/spin-outs/plantcarb

December 20^th 2021

How starch makes its way through your body and its effect on health.

Starch digestion is a complex process that begins in the mouth and ends in the guts, all the while releasing glucose that provides energy for all tissues and organs and nutrients for vital gut bacteria.
Starch, known in some circles as a controversial carb, is often labelled as either good or bad. It turns out, the way starch is digested determines its nutritional qualities and its effect on our health.

The importance of starch to humans dates back to the Palaeolithic era. Researchers believe starchy foods from roots and tubers might have had a crucial role in the evolution of modern humans (Homo sapiens) from their early hominin ancestors.

Around one million years ago, humans began to consume starchy plant foods regularly, possibly thanks to the discovery of the cooking process. Around the same time, genetic variation equipped humans with multiple copies of the salivary amylase gene (AMY1), which initiates the digestion of starch in the mouth.

University of Sydney researchers hypothesis that the increased availability of dietary starch led to an expansion of the human brain.

Today, starch is found in many staple foods and is the main glycaemic (glucose-releasing) carbohydrate in human diets, contributing to 50 to 70% of dietary energy.

Raw starch is poorly digested.

“We need to cook our food to be able to eat it,” said Professor Emeritus Les Copeland AM, an agricultural chemist who has studied starch for 40 years at the University of Sydney.

The application of heat and absorption of water disrupts, at least partially, the starch structure, making it more digestible. But not all starch is digested the same way.

Starch is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose molecules joined by glycosidic bonds. Some starch molecules are linear, and others have a more complex, tree-like structure.

The way these two are combined makes some starches less digestible than others, so they take longer to go through the body.

Rapidly digested starch (RDS) is found in highly processed foods such as many breakfast cereals and white bread. It’s digested chiefly within 20 to 30 minutes, releasing glucose and setting off rapid insulin response.

“Over time, exposing yourself to this sort of rapid release of glucose increases the risk of health issues such as diabetes and obesity,” Emeritus Professor Copeland said.

Foods can contain either rapidly digested starch (RDS) or slowly digested starch (SDS).

That does not mean we should be avoiding RDS altogether.

Glucose is an essential energy source for all tissues, especially the brain, kidneys, red blood cells and reproductive tissues. The brain alone uses about 25% of the total energy expenditure even though it accounts for less than 10% of body weight.

Glucose is also the primary energy source for foetal growth, and higher starch intake during pregnancy and nursing is essential.

Slowly digested starch (SDS) takes longer to break down and moves from the stomach to the small intestine, largely intact. This type of starch is found in whole grains, legumes and starchy nuts.

SDS digestion results in a slower release of glucose and consequently a moderated insulin response. Also, emerging evidence suggests that remnants of SDS that reach the ileum – the junction between the small intestine and the colon – trigger the release of hormones that make us feel fuller.

Emeritus Professor Copeland, who in 2020 received the F B Guthrie Grain Science Medal, which recognises outstanding scientific achievement and contribution to knowledge in the field of grain science, said an active area of research focuses on resistant starch.

This is found in starchy raw food like green bananas, some nuts and seeds, or that has been refrigerated after cooking like potatoes.

Resistant starch granules are often encapsulated into bulky structural material, which renders them hardly digestible.

Researchers have discovered that resistant starch has a vital role in human health because it reaches the colon – the last section of our intestine – and becomes food for gut bacteria.

“The gut has a colony made up of thousands of different species of bacteria that work in a collaborative way to break down resistant starch and draw nutriment from it,” said Emeritus Professor Copeland.

“They grow and proliferate. The health and richness of this community of bacteria are vital, and when that balance is lost, that is associated with illness.”

Emeritus Professor Copeland said what we eat has a profound effect on our health, but “if something is good for you, it doesn’t mean that more is better for you”.

Instead, he said it is crucial to find balance in our diet of different foods that contribute to body health and functions.

“We eat meals, not food.”

Source: https://www.sydney.edu.au/science/news-and-events/2021/12/20/nutritional-qualities-of-starch-depend-on-the-way-it-is-digested.html

December 16^th 2021

Healthier tapioca starch is on the way.

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan have recently created a healthier form of starch in the cassava plant. Published in the scientiêc journal Plant Molecular Biology, the study shows how reducing levels of starch branching enzymes (SBEs) in cassava plants changes the composition of tapioca starch, making it more resistant to digestion and healthier for us to eat. Most of the starch we eat comes from cereal crops like rice, corn, and wheat or tuber crops like potato and cassava. Starch contains two molecules—amylose and amylopectin. The diéerence between them is that amylose is a straight chain of glucose molecules connected end to end, while in amylopectin the chains branch out like a tree. The crops we eat diéer in their relative amounts of amylose and amylopectin. For example, rice starch contains about 35% amylose (65% amylopectin), while cassava starch, commonly called tapioca, contains only about 17% amylose (82% amylopectin). Normal starch that includes branching amylopectin is easily digested by enzymes in saliva. That sounds good, but actually amylose and lessbranched amylopectin are healthier because their structures can resist digestion. Instead of giving us unhealthy blood sugar spikes, resistant starch travels to our gut where it becomes food for all the good bacteria that live there and keep us healthy.

The RIKEN CSRS team focused on the cassava plant because it is often overlooked, even though it is one of most import crops in tropical and subtropical regions. “By suppressing multiple genes one by one, we were able to increase the amount of resistant tapioca by about 63%.” says lead researcher Yoshinori Utsumi. “Not only will this starch improve intestinal function, but it will also improve blood sugar and insulin responsiveness.”

Resistant starch has two characteristics. The êrst is amylopectin with fewer branches and longer chains, making is harder to digest. The second is a lower percentage of amylopectin overall. To generate resistant starch, the researchers focused on the enzyme that helps create the branches in amylopectin. To create a branch, one chain of amylose must attach to the middle of another chain of amylose. Creating this bond requires starch branching enzymes (SBEs). The team reasoned that reducing this enzyme’s activity would be a way to generate resistant starch. Therefore, the êrst step was to identify the SBE genes in the cassava genome. Analysis revealed three SBE genes, with a few subtypes. SBE1 and SBE2a appear to be involved in making amylopectin in cassava leaves and roots, while SBE2c is only in the roots.

Next, the researchers created several lines of transgenic cassava to compare with unmodiêed wildtype cassava. The most successful transgenic lines were those in which both SBE1 and SBE2 expression were reduced to about 10% of wildtype expression. Looking at the factors that increase starch resistance, the researchers found that although wildtype cassava contained about 17% amylose, the roots of two transgenic lines in which both SBE1 and SBE2 were reduced contained about 40% amylose. These lines also produced root amylopectin with fewer branches and longer chains. Overall, the percent of resistant tapioca starch rose from 0.4% to about 25%, a whopping increase of about 6300%, although the total amount of starch did decrease a little.

“In addition to advancing cassava molecular breeding, we hope that our êndings will lead to more functional foods that improve human health,” says Utsumi. “Now that we have identiêed the cassava genes for molecularly more resistant starch, the next step will be to verify the eéectiveness of these plants and the tapioca starch they produce.”

Reference: Utsumi et al (2021) Suppressed expression of starch branching enzyme 1 and 2 increases resistant starch and amylose content and modiêes amylopectin structure in cassava. Plant Mol Biol. doi: 10.1007/s11103-021-01209-w

Source: https://phys.org/news/2021-12-healthier-tapioca-starch.html

December 15^th 2021

Natural titanium dioxide substitute: wheat starch component improves the appearance of pet food.

Declaration-friendly alternative from Trigea offers high levels of whiteness and functionality.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) no longer considers the white pigment titanium dioxide (E 171) to be a safe additive in animal feed.1 Trigovit® Starch 1104 ND native small-grain starch has a naturally high degree of whiteness and visually brightens various pet food applications. This starch component from Trigea, a specialist in wheat-based functional ingredients, is not chemically modified, is completely harmless to health and has no E number.

Trigovit® Starch has a whiteness (brightness) of 98.17 on the scale of 0 (black) to 100 (white). In pet food applications, it provides a clear brightening effect and, in snack applications for example, can be used to create offset optical highlights. Now that EFSA’s assessment has already led to a ban on titanium dioxide as a food additive from next year, a similar decision is expected for feed production. For manufacturers who now want to reformulate their products, Trigea offers a natural alternative as well as advice and targeted assistance.

Trigovit® Starch is a native wheat starch produced by physical separation. The size of the starch granules is very small (less than 10 μm), so that ten times more particles are contained in the same volume compared with conventional corn or wheat starch. The starch distributes homogenously in the end product without sedimenting. It is also free-flowing and dispersible, neutral in taste and easily digestible.

Maximilian Hegge, Sales Manager at Trigea, comments: “Demand for a natural substitute for titanium dioxide has increased enormously since the EFSA notification and the ban in the food sector. We frequently encounter this topic at trade fairs and customer meetings. With our native wheat starch, we help manufacturers to prepare for potential changes in the law and ensure that they can make their product as visually appealing as before — with a natural, renewable raw material.”

Source: Source: https://crespeldeitersgroup.com/news/natuerlicher-titandioxid-ersatz/

December 03^rd 2021

AKFP introduces waxy potato starches for North American food industry.

American Key Food Products now offers native waxy potato starch and pregelatinized native waxy potato starch to the North American food industry. Made in Germany by the Emsland Group, both starches are over 99% amylopectin and may be used in applications such as fruit ållings, baked foods, soups and sauces, salad dressings, condiments, snacks and meat alternatives.

The native waxy potato starch is a cook-up starch. The pregelatinized native waxy potato starch is a cold-swelling pregelatinized starch. Both are high-viscosity starches. They have a neutral flavor profile. The high-gelatinization levels bring about expansion, creaminess, smoothness and mouthfeel, according to Closter-based AKFP. They are used in binding and thickening, imparting a shiny, clear appearance, new textures, high viscosity and extended shelf life.

“This high level of amylopectin is achieved by the breeding of a potato variety specially for this
purpose, using traditional techniques, not genetic modification,” said Ivan Sarda, president of AKFP. “These native starches offer excellent performance characteristics with the added beneåt of being non-GMO, gluten-free and clean-label friendly. Such innovative starches are a natural addition to our portfolio of ingredients that support the better-for-you lifestyle choices many consumers seek today.”

Source: https://innovationsfood.com/akfp-introduces-waxy-potato-starches-high-amylopectin-gluten-free-and-non-gmo/

November 29^th 2021

DSM to acquire Vestkorn Milling to accelerate growth in plant-based proteins.

Royal DSM, a global purpose-led science-based company, announces today that it has signed an agreement to acquire Norwegian company Vestkorn Milling, one of Europe’s leading producers of pea- and bean-derived ingredients for plant-based protein products, for an enterprise value of €65m.

Vestkorn Milling is well-positioned in the buoyant alternative protein market, supplying proteins, starches and dietary fibers for plant-based foods, pet food and animal feed. The company has 55 employees and is based in Tau on the south-west coast of Norway.

Patrick Niels, Executive Vice President of DSM’s Food & Beverage division, commented on the acquisition: “We very much look forward to welcoming Vestkorn Milling and their team to DSM. Increasingly, food and beverage producers around the world are looking to partners who can offer an integrated portfolio of ingredients, expertise, and solutions to help them differentiate and get to market fast. This is especially important in the highly dynamic meat alternatives space, where consumer and societal expectations around authentic taste, texture, and nutritional profile, as well as climate impact, are becoming more and more sophisticated.”

Aslak Lie, CEO of Vestkorn Milling, added: “Through the cooperation with DSM we have taken a huge step towards becoming a global leader of pulse-based ingredients. Over the past years we have significantly expanded our business and market. With DSM, we have got a long-term oriented owner that will fuel further growth and expansion. We are thrilled by this opportunity, and we look forward to being a part of the DSM team.”

The acquisition is a further step in DSM’s strategy to build an alternative protein business and will provide synergy with DSM’s innovative CanolaPRO™ rapeseed protein isolate, which will commercially launch next year.

Vestkorn Milling’s proteins, starches and dietary fibers are highly complementary to DSM’s broad offering to companies developing plant-based food and beverages, which includes vitamins, algal lipids and minerals to improve nutritional value; texturizing hydrocolloids; and flavors and yeast extracts as well as enzymes to improve protein taste and functionality.

The combination will furthermore help DSM deliver on its Food System Commitments to reach 150 million people with delicious, nutritious and sustainable plant-based protein foods by 2030.

Subject to customary conditions, the transaction is expected to close in Q4 2021.

Source: https://www.dsm.com/corporate/news/news-archive/2021/36-21-dsm-to-acquire-vestkorn-milling-to-accelerate-growth-in-plant-based-proteins.html

November 24^th 2021

Royal Avebe performance price at 93.30 euro.

Royal Avebe today announced its performance price of 93.30 euro for the 2020/2021 financial year. The growing acreage of starch potatoes, especially outside the Netherlands, led to pressure on the prices of native starch this year. Rising costs caused by the corona crisis also depressed the performance price. This performance price is partly due to the strategic direction following two years in which the performance price benefited from a lower market supply and therefore higher prices for native starch.

Growing year 2020 was marked by better growing conditions for starch potatoes compared to previous years. This was also the case in other European countries, where the acreage of starch potatoes also increased considerably. This higher market supply exerted downward pressure on prices for native potato starch and protein for animal feed. This ultimately resulted in a performance price of 93.30 euro. The performance price is the Cooperative’s key financial indicator. It combines the cooperative result and the potato revenues. The cooperative result totals 9.2 million euros.

Avebe’s strategy is to create more value through innovative products rather than bulk products. In recent years, the demand for innovative, vegetable-based products has increased, and Avebe’s potato starch and protein products play a vital role in this. This is illustrated by replacing animal protein with vegetable potato protein in dairy products while retaining the same nutritional and functional value. The capacity for vegetable protein has expanded considerably in recent years. Avebe invested heavily in innovation and sustainability in the financial year 2020/2021. This included planned investments that had been postponed in the previous fiscal year due to COVID-19.

The coronavirus once again caused many uncertainties. The number of infections among employees rose. There was also reduced availability of transport and containers to get products from A to B. Despite that, we managed to get all the products to our customers, sometimes with some delays. The cooperative was also faced with rising costs of transport, energy, raw materials and packaging materials. David Fousert, new chairman of the board of Royal Avebe: “Our members are also facing substantial cost increases to grow starch potatoes. It is therefore imperative that we, as Avebe, remain on track to continuously increase the performance price. And we do this through our strategy for high-quality products. Despite the impact of the corona crisis and market conditions, we are still on track to achieve our strategic goals including a 100 euro performance price by the financial year 2024/2025,” said David Fousert.

Source: https://www.avebe.com/news/royal-avebe-performance-price-at-93-30-euro/

November 06^th 2021

Chinese company picks Grand Forks North Dakota for manufacturing plant.

The Chinese company Fufeng has chosen Grand Forks (ND) as the site of a manufacturing facility that city officials said Saturday could be the largest private sector investment in the community’s history.

Fufeng Group Ltd. picked an approximately 370 acre (150 hectare) site in Grand Forks’ agri-business park. The facility is expected to initially require 25 million bushels of corn annually, the city’s announcement said,

The announcement did not give the size of the investment or specify which products will be made there. Fufeng makes products for the animal nutrition, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, health and wellness, oil and gas, and other industries. It’s a leading producer of xanthan gum. This will be its first U.S.-based manufacturing facility, the city said.

“Adding value to our corn and other raw commodities is critical to North Dakota’s long-term economic success, and this value-added project represents a huge opportunity for producers and workers in the Grand Forks area and our entire state,” Gov. Doug Burgum said in a statement.

Construction is expected to employ up to 1,000 workers for up to three years, said Keith Lund, president and CEO of the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation. “Once operational we anticipate 233 direct jobs and 525 indirect jobs will be created, for a total of over 750 new jobs in our region,” he said.

Fufeng officials are planning to visit Grand Forks later this month to meet with state and local leaders to continue the due diligence process and work toward finalizing a development agreement.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/business-north-dakota-grand-forks-fufeng-group-ltd-0c56dbdae6f35b999674b78410463562