Starch Pros

December 19^th 2024

New processing tech to unlock potential of China’s potato industry.

“Potato-turned rice”, a rice-shaped starch product made from potatoes using a new processing technology, is undergoing initial production and sales tests in southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

The production line started operation in November and has been running smoothly for about a month. The new product has the potential to turn potatoes, which have good yields and wide adaptability but a short storage life, into a popular staple food in China, thus helping the country ensure food security.

RESHAPING THE STARCH CHAIN

The production line in Qiaojia County, in the city of Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, is the latest achievement of polymer physical chemist Wu Qi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He and his research team built the plant and put it into operation after more than five years of research and development.

The team focused on the extrusion recombination technology of plant polysaccharides and protein composite systems, with the aim of making tuber crops a staple food in China and introducing the processing technology to the market.

Starch is the main substance used by plants to store energy, and is composed of long chains of sugar molecules connected together. Starch macromolecule chains have two major forms: the linear amylose, and the branched amylopectin.

Dining tables around the world feature various staples composed of starch foods, such as rice, wheat, potatoes and corn. However, most Chinese people do not view potatoes as a staple food like rice and wheat, treating them more as a vegetable ingredient instead.

The processing technology changes the properties of potato starch macromolecules at a physical level to reshape the starch chain. It integrates macromolecular physics theory, food macromolecule processing, and polymer extrusion and granulating technologies.

Agronomist Deng Yong, director of an agricultural service center in the county, said there are slightly more branched chains in potato starch than in rice starch, resulting in a difference in food texture. Changing the configuration of the potato starch chains results in a food product that is not so soft, and is therefore more appetizing to consumers, as well as being more convenient to store with a longer shelf life.

The potato-turned rice has been processed at high temperature and high pressure, so there is no need to wash and soak the rice. It can be cooked in an ordinary electric rice cooker like real rice, and the amount of water and cooking time required are far less than those of rice, he added.

INDUSTRY POTENTIAL

The mountainous city of Zhaotong is one of the main potato-producing areas in Yunnan, with a climate and environment very similar to the Andes Mountains in South America, where potatoes originally come from. The city was awarded the title of “Potato Plateau Seed Potato Capital of the World” by the World Potato Congress in 2020.

Zhaotong currently boasts a potato planting area of about 158,000 hectares, with a yield of 3.5 million tonnes and a total output value of about 10 billion yuan (about 1.37 billion U.S. dollars).

According to Li Yulin, the general manager of the company running the production line, the preliminary estimate shows that 2.5 tonnes of potatoes can be processed into 1 tonne of potato-turned rice, with the output value increasing by more than 10 times.

The production line is expected to process about 2,500 tonnes of fresh potatoes per year, producing 1,000 tonnes of potato-turned rice, achieving an output value of about 30 million yuan, he added.

Deng said the processing technology is expected to promote potato planting in mountainous areas, as well as the planting and deep-processing of other crops, completing the industrial chain of mountain agriculture.

He added that potatoes can be planted in most parts of the country, while processing technology has big potential for assisting poverty alleviation efforts through sci-tech progress.

The first batch of products has already been put on trial sale in the local market, and the feedback shows that middle-aged and elderly people are interested.

ENSURING FOOD SECURITY

According to Wu Qi, the lead scientist of the development team, food security is based on three major elements: the area of arable land; the yield per unit area; and strategic reserves. The potato-turned rice has many advantages in these three areas, and can therefore contribute to ensuring food security.

Compared to the average yield of 12 tonnes per hectare for rice, the potato yield can reach over 30 tonnes per hectare. Potatoes can be grown in various regions across China, including mountainous areas and plains, and they have strong drought resistance.

After the processing, the potato-turned rice can be stored at low cost at room temperature for a long time without the need for ventilation, or temperature and humidity control. This is unlike fresh potatoes, which have a short storage life and high storage cost.

The production line in Yunnan is the latest case of China using potatoes to promote food security. In 2016, the country’s agriculture ministry announced that potatoes will be promoted as staple food products for industrialization.

In recent years, the sowing area of potatoes in China has been kept at about 4.67 million hectares, with an annual output of nearly 90 million tonnes, with the output ranking first in the world for many years.

Official data show that China’s cumulative grain imports in 2023 stood at 161.96 million tonnes, while the total grain outputs were 695.41 million tonnes in the same year.

During the annual Central Economic Work Conference, held last week to outline priorities for the Chinese economy in 2025, Chinese leaders decided that efforts should be focused on areas including the stable production and supply of grain and other major agricultural products, as well as the promotion of the agricultural industry according to local conditions to increase farmers’ incomes.

Source: http://www.china.org.cn/china/Off_the_Wire/2024-12/19/content_117617472.htm

December 18^th 2024

The potato starch supplier, which has opened a new research centre, says the growth is down to increased market share.

Danish potato starch co-operative KMC has reported a 6% increase in revenue to DKK 3.6m (£4m) for the 2023/34 financial year, driven by growth in potato starch sales and stable production capacity.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) for the year were DKK 372m, up from the previous year’s DKK 362m.

KMC said the result is partly due to an increased overall market share supplying potato starch to the food industry, where KMC achieved over 10% growth in sold quantities and total product sales exceeding 400,000 tons. Stable production conditions and minimal impact from energy prices also helped, it added.

Based on these solid results, KMC has paid out DKK 276m in post-payment to its co-op members, who have faced rising cultivation cultivation costs due to challenging weather conditions.

”The year’s financial results demonstrate the strength of KMC’s value chain,“ said CEO Jesper Burgaard, “where both modern production facilities and the adaptability of potato growers play a major role. We are, of course, pleased to be able to return a very reasonable profit to the Danish potato growers.”

KMC also marked the year with the opening of a new 5,000 sq m Innovation Center, following an investment of DKK 100m, aimed at strengthening the company’s position in plant-based ingredients. The site is integrated with the co-op’s headquarters and has doubled KMC’s capacity for innovation and research.

The co-op – whose former CEO Nicolai Hansen gave a presentation on its work at January’s SAOS conference in Scotland – said it expects continued high demand for its products and a revenue increase of between 6% and 12% in the coming fiscal year.

Despite expected high raw material and cost levels, management anticipates profitability that continues to make it attractive for potato growers to cultivate starch and powder potatoes.

KMC is also continuing its energy initiatives to reduce dependence on natural gas, supporting the group’s sustainable growth strategy.

Source: https://www.thenews.coop/danish-agri-food-co-op-kmc-reports-6-revenue-growth/

December 13^th 2024

EBRD provides guarantee on €40 million loan to Omnia Romania.

Loan will finance extension of Omnia factory for new waxy starch products.

Banca Transilvania (BT) is lending €40 million to Omnia Europe SA (Omnia Romania), a leading corn starch producer and owner of the largest starch factory in Romania and southeastern Europe. Half the loan amount, €20 million, will be guaranteed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), under the Risk-Sharing Facility (RSF) with Banca Transilvania.

The financing will support the company in expanding its operations by establishing a new unit dedicated to producing waxy starch.

Omnia Europe SA, based in Medgidia, Constanta County, is a producer of starch, maltodextrin and by-products, key ingredients for many products in the food, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper and chemical industries. It is a subsidiary of Omnia Nisasta Ticaret AS and part of the Turkish Tosmur Group, one of the largest producers of corn starch and derivatives products.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is using its Risk Sharing Framework (RSF) to support the expansion of businesses in its countries of operations and boost the lending capacity of local partner banks.

“We are delighted to reinforce our commitment to the Romanian agribusiness sector by supporting the expansion of Omnia Group within the country. This transaction highlights the strong collaboration with Banca Transilvania and underscores the effectiveness of the Risk Sharing Framework in facilitating the growth ambitions of companies across EBRD’s Countries of Operations. Furthermore, this initiative is particularly significant as it focuses on processing agricultural commodities into higher-value products, contributing to Romania’s efforts to improve its food and agricultural trade balance” said Victoria Zinchuk, EBRD’s Head of Romania.

Source: www.ebrd.com/news/2024/ebrd-provides-guarantee-on-40-million-loan-to-omnia-romania

December 02^nd 2024

Agrana and Ingredion forge joint venture to enhance starch production in Romania.

Agrana Stärke, a subsidiary of Austria’s Agrana Beteiligungs-AG, has entered into a joint venture agreement with Ingredion, marking a new step in the evolution of starch production in Romania.

This collaboration, which is pending approval from relevant competition and regulatory authorities, will see Ingredion acquiring a 49% stake in AGFD Tandarei SRL from Agrana.

Stephan Büttner, CEO of Agrana Beteiligungs-AG, said: “We want to drive our growth in Europe by entering into a joint venture and we believe Ingredion is the ideal partner for this”.

He noted that the collaboration leverages the distinct expertise of both companies in starch production, aligning with Agrana’s broader strategy, dubbed ‘Next Level,’ which aims to enhance its commodity and specialty business segments.

The joint venture comes at a time when the food and beverage manufacturing landscape is increasingly focused on sustainable and innovative ingredient solutions. As consumer preferences shift towards health-conscious and environmentally friendly products, the demand for specialty starches – known for their functional properties in food applications – continues to grow.

Ingredion, a global supplier in ingredient solutions, develops various speciality starches that serve as functional ingredients across food and beverage sectors.

This strategic alliance will not only bolster Agrana’s production capabilities in Romania but also enhance Ingredion’s footprint in the European market. The Starch segment of Agrana, which accounted for approximately €1.1 billion of the group’s turnover in the last financial year, is poised for further growth through this venture.

With five production sites across Austria, Romania and Hungary, Agrana Stärke has established itself as a key player in customised starch applications, catering to diverse industrial needs.

The joint venture is expected to streamline operations and innovate product offerings, ultimately benefiting manufacturers seeking to enhance the quality and sustainability of their products.

More details regarding the collaboration will be disclosed following the necessary regulatory approvals.

Source: https://www.foodbev.com/news/agrana-and-ingredion-forge-joint-venture-to-enhance-starch-production-in-romania

November 12^th 2024

New uses for pulse starch seen on the horizon.

Protein is normally the focus of pulse production, but research shows value can also be gained from the starch byproduct

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are seeking new uses for pulse starches in the food and biomaterial sectors.

Byproduct market research aims to reduce food waste, increase efficiency and add more value to crops grown on the Prairies.

While protein is often the goal for pulse crops in Western Canada, starch makes up more of the seed.

“When you look at the composition in the pulses, it’s about 40 to 50 per cent of pulse starch,” said Mehmet Tulbek, president of the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre.

“So the protein is only 20, 22 to 24 per cent. When people sell it as a whole (grain), that’s a different story. But when they fractionate, the protein is more valuable. Then the second value is the fibre and the lowest value is the starch portion.”

The market value of protein to starch is now about 21 to 1. As more uses for the starch are found, the value for it and for pulses as a whole could increase.

Today, the most common use for pulse starches is as an additive in animal feed, although there are possible avenues for expansion as an ingredient in batters, breading, pastas, Chinese noodles and other snack foods.

“We’re creating this really high-value product in protein, but then we’ve got this starch left over,” said Amber Johnson, director of marketing and communications at Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.

The farm group is one of the industry stakeholders supporting research into pulse starches. Johnson is also on the national market development team working with Pulse Canada, which is focused on pulse market development and diversification.

In Manitoba alone, peas went from fewer than 100,000 planted acres a year to 191,400 acres reported this spring. That was helped by the entry of pea protein giant Roquette, which chose Portage la Prairie for its major pea protein plant.

Interest in peas and pea protein is one example of a rising pulse market. | Pulse Canada photo
“As interest in pea protein grew, it became very obvious to us that we needed better, higher value uses for that starch byproduct and that’s kind of where this (research) and some other projects came to be,” Johnson said.

“And so, we’re one of several contributors to this particular project, in hopes to find more, higher-value uses for that starch component of the fractionation process.”

University of Saskatchewan research has shown that pulse starch has strong gelling capabilities, making it a strong contender as an ingredient for adding texture or firmness, or acting as a stabilizer in food. In a product like Chinese glass noodles, the starch could allow structure to set quicker and provide a firmer texture.

That same trait has applications for biomaterials. Depending on type of starch and what is mixed with it, a conductive hydrogel can be formed. In one case, a mixture of pea starch, polyvinyl alcohol, water and salt created a gel that was flexible and tensile even at -20 C.

Other potential materials include sheer films and packaging useful for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.

Pulse starch is also being considered for use in low glycemic foods for human consumption. While this aspect of the research is ongoing, a modified dough made from the pea starch and water showed a reduction in glycemic response with human subjects.

In 2020, Pulse Canada and market research firm Euromonitor worked to price index pulse starch according to end use application. They found that its use in paper and packaging could double the starch’s value, and industries like bioplastics could nearly triple it. Uses in food and sports nutrition, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals also have potential high value.

“There’s so many places that this could go and there’s a lot of factors to consider,” Johnson said. “Some of these really high value markets have low volume because you only need a little bit of it to do what you’re trying to do. But that’s all a component of our market development strategy, which is all about diversifying (for sustainable demand).”

Tulbek noted that, while the entire world grows pulses and many countries have their own processing facilities, Canada can pack a major punch in the sector.

“Western Canada, they have the sustainably produced pulses, really high-quality pulses, that are ready for the marketplace,” Tulbek said.

Several processing and manufacturing companies across Canada and the United States use Canadian-grown pulses. Many are primarily focused on peas, but are getting into fababean and lentil processing as well.

However, the growth and market for pulse starches is ultimately determined by consumers.

“That speed (of growth) is really defined by the success of the product and the market acceptability,” Tulbek said. “If the market likes it, if consumers like it, or if there’s industrial application … it may be faster.”

He said he’s seen strong growth in pulse starch utilization over the last 10 years. Johnson added that part of the growth is end user education to increase interest and awareness about pulse possibilities.

“The more opportunities for these products that we can create, (that) means that there’ll be sustainable demand, which is really important for our producers,” she said.

Source: https://www.producer.com/news/new-uses-for-pulse-starch-seen-on-the-horizon/

October 30^th 2024

Scientists develop starch nanocomposite films that pave the way for green electronics.

Queen Mary University of London researchers have developed new nanocomposite films using starch instead of petroleum-based materials, marking a significant advancement in the field of sustainable electronics.

These starch nanocomposites offer tuneable mechanical and electrical properties, making them an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based materials.

With a growing global need for sustainable solutions in electronics, this breakthrough presents a major step toward reducing e-waste and promoting eco-friendly electronics. The new nanocomposite films are made from starch, one of the most abundant natural polymers found in plants such as potato, maize, pea and corn, and MXene, a highly conductive 2D material that is manufactured in-house. These films can be tailored for various uses, such as monitoring human body movement, tactile sensing, and electronic smart skins.

A key innovation towards sustainable electronics is the fact that the starch-based films decompose within a month when buried in soil, offering a rapid degradation process that contrasts sharply with conventional non-degradable plastics. Additionally, by adjusting MXene concentrations, researchers achieved precise control over the films’ mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and sensing capabilities. This allows for customized applications across different industries, from healthcare to wearable electronics. These composites use natural, abundant materials, with a production process reliant on water as a solvent, further enhancing their sustainability credentials.

Lead researcher Ming Dong, from QMUL’s School of Engineering and Materials Science, said: “Our findings have shown that sustainable electronics can be achieved through these starch-based nanocomposites, offering not just an environmentally friendly solution but also practical applications in flexible electronics.”

Dimitrios Papageorgiou, lead academic and corresponding author of the study, said: “This work represents a significant leap forward in addressing the global challenge of e-waste. By using abundant and biodegradable materials, we are opening up new avenues for sustainable electronics. These starch-based composites offer a solution that merges environmental responsibility with high-performance sensing and electronics capabilities.”

The research team believes these developments can lead to a future where electronic devices are no longer part of the environmental burden but contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy.

Source: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2024/se/starch-nanocomposite-films-developed-at-qmul-pave-the-way-for-green-electronics-.html

October 21^st 2024

How humans evolved a starch-digesting superpower long before farming.

Two papers show how agriculture drove gene to duplicate again and again, confirming and extending earlier studies.

If a fresh chewy baguette or a sweet roasted yam gives you a burst of energy, you can thank a chance genetic mutation that occurred hundreds of thousands of years ago in our ancestors. That’s just one takeaway from a pair of studies—one published last month in Nature, the other out last Thursday in Science—that trace the evolutionary history of the gene that helps break down starch into sugars in our mouths.

Most modern humans carry multiple copies of this salivary amylase gene, called AMY1. Some populations—typically those who eat lots of starch, whether grains or tubers—have even more copies, supercharging their production of the amylase enzyme and allowing them to wring more calories from starchy food. But when our ancestors first acquired these copies, and why exactly the gene is so prone to duplication, has been a mystery.

The Nature and Science papers disagree by hundreds of thousands of years about just when the gene first duplicated. But both track the gene’s later evolution in fine detail, revealing how the rise of agriculture coincided with a pronounced jump in the number of AMY1 copies in some populations. And both studies shine light on the mechanism, showing why the genes were so prone to duplicating themselves in the first place.

“This is such elegant work,” says Christina Warinner, a Harvard University biomolecular archaeologist who has found evidence indicating ancient humans, including Neanderthals, consumed starches. “It details at a mechanistic level how this happens specifically for amylase genes, [and also] has broader implications in general for evolution.”

In 2007, bioanthropologist George Perry, then at Arizona State University, and colleagues identified the link between eating lots of starchy foods and having more copies of AMY1 in populations around the world. Perry, now at Pennsylvania State University, hypothesized that when humans began to grow wheat, yams, and other starchy crops, people with more copies of AMY1 absorbed more energy-rich sugars in every bite—and had more surviving children.

But the genomic technology of the time wasn’t powerful enough to confirm this scenario. Scientists could only sequence small fragments of DNA at a time, leaving them effectively blind to labyrinthine stretches of DNA populated by multiple copies of genes. “The methods I used were extremely crude,” Perry recalls. “These [new] papers are … able to look at this in much more depth.”

Today, researchers can sequence bigger chunks of DNA and so reveal multiple copies of genes in their locations on a chromosome. In last month’s Nature paper, a team led by integrative biologist Peter Sudmant at the University of California, Berkeley reported that humans around the world have up to 11 copies of AMY1 per chromosome as well as between zero and four copies per chromosome of one of two other genes that produce amylase in the pancreas. The team also looked at ancient genomes from three Neanderthals and one Denisovan, and found no sign that these extinct human cousins had multiple copies of the genes.

Sudmant and colleagues then analyzed genomes from 519 ancient Eurasians who lived starting 12,000 years ago, at the dawn of agriculture on the continent. The average number of copies of AMY1 rose from four to more than seven about 5000 years ago, and the fraction of people who had at least one duplicated salivary or pancreatic amylase gene also rose dramatically.

By counting slight differences in DNA regions flanking the duplicated genes to determine how long ago they split apart, Sudmant and colleagues built a family tree of the salivary gene and dated its branches. They estimate the gene was first duplicated at least 279,000 years ago, and was later duplicated and deleted many times, giving rise to a variety of copy numbers in modern humans. “Before our species left Africa, there were already higher copy numbers of amylase,” Sudmant says. “Those … were later selected” when starchy farming diets made them favorable.

Today in Science, a team led by University at Buffalo anthropological genomicist Omer Gokcumen reported a similar surge in AMY1 copies in European farmers over the past 4000 years, confirming a potential link to agriculture. But they also found AMY1 duplications in three of six Neanderthal genomes and one Denisovan genome. They conclude the gene was first duplicated much earlier than Sudmant’s group estimated: before modern humans’ split from those close cousins, which some estimates put as early as 800,000 years ago. But the researchers caution it’s also possible that the initial duplication, which resulted in three copies of AMY1 on a single chromosome, took place later, in modern humans. Neanderthals and Denisovans could then have picked up the DNA segment through interbreeding or evolved multiple copies independently.

Runyang Nicolas Lou, a postdoc in Sudmant’s lab, says his group only analyzed ancient genomes that had been more completely sequenced, to rule out contamination from modern DNA. “That’s mainly why our results differ,” he says.

Gokcumen’s team also spelled out how AMY1 copies itself so prolifically. Once the initial three-copy version, or haplotype, emerged, they report, the arrangement of gene copies on the chromosomes allowed DNA from two different copies to cross over and repeat itself, duplicating—or sometimes deleting—two copies of the genes. “The moment we have the three-copy haplotype, it’s the steppingstone for the evolution of this locus—we can either go up by two [copies] or we can go down by two,” explains Charikleia Karageorgiou, a postdoc in Gokcumen’s lab and co-author on the paper. “From that point on, everything changes.”

Diyendo Massilani, a geneticist at Yale University, says the “very exciting” papers should spur ancient DNA researchers to think more about how structural variation in genomes—as opposed to differences between genes—has influenced selection.

Warinner thinks similar mechanisms could explain other instances of gene copy number variation, such as seen in Huntington disease. And understanding the evolution of AMY1 may help solve other amylase mysteries. “There are still a lot of unknowns here, but we finally have more pieces to this puzzle than before,” she says.

A version of this story appeared in Science, Vol 386, Issue 6719.

Source: https://www.science.org/content/article/how-humans-evolved-starch-digesting-superpower-long-farming

October 11^th 2024

Sustainable routes for sustainable products: advanced materials from lignin and starch.

In the development of alternatives to fossil fuels, lignocellulose biomass and starch appear to be promising natural raw materials, including in coatings and packaging materials. This is according to Mattia Lenti, who conducted research at the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen. On Friday October 11^th, he hopes to obtain his PhD from the University of Groningen based on his research.

The environmental impact of fossil fuel-based polymers has driven the scientific community to seek sustainable alternatives, with lignocellulosic biomass and starch emerging as promising natural feedstocks.

Lignin, one of the major components of lignocellulose, has potential to replace toxic bisphenol A in epoxy resins. However, lignin’s complex structure poses extraction challenges, usually resulting in a low value- added use of lignin as fuel in traditional biorefineries. Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES), a novel class of solvents with outstanding properties, can increase the efficiency of lignin recovery from lignocellulosic biomass, allowing for an effective valorization of this natural polymer in the preparation of bio-based epoxy resins. In the first part of this thesis, we explore the use of DES for the extraction of oligomeric lignin in high yield to be used as starting material for the production of green epoxy resins adhesives. We then tested those materials for bonding wood samples and revealed outstanding mechanical properties, comparable to commercially available fossil-based glues.

Starch is another natural, biodegradable polymer with vast potential for the synthesis of advanced materials, but its poor native properties require modification for most applications. In particular, the low hydrophobicity of starch limits its use in many fields. In the second half of this thesis, we explore the use of supercritical CO2 for the chemical modification of potato starch to increase its hydrophobicity via a sustainable and scalable process using different, benign compounds. The improvements in starch properties along with its high biodegradability, make hydrophobized starch a promising candidate for various industrial applications, including coatings, adhesives, and packaging, where it could replace traditional products obtained from non-renewable feedstocks.

Source: https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/sustainable-routes-for-sustainable-products-advanced-materials-fr

October 08^th 2024

Driving Innovation and Sustainability at the 7th EU Starch Value Chain & Fermentation Conference in Berlin.

The 7th EU Starch Value Chain & Fermentation Conference taking place on 15-17 October 2024 is set to be a pivotal event for the European starch industry. Supported by Starch Europe as the official supporting organization, this year’s event will feature industry-leading sponsors Larsson Starch Technology AB, Emsland-Stärke GmbH, and Krettek Separation GmbH. The event will also host a range of exhibitors, including Premier Tech System, BHS, VetterTec, Bion, F.A. Schmidt, and Stamex Technology, all of whom will present cutting-edge solutions driving the starch industry’s future.

Innovations and Sustainability: The Future of Starch

This year’s conference focuses on the innovations transforming the starch industry, with a particular emphasis on creating more sustainable and efficient value chains. Industry leaders will discuss strategies for optimizing production processes, reducing waste, and maximizing the value of by-products from starch production.

The shift towards near zero-waste starch biorefineries, which produce a wide variety of bio-based ingredients, will be a key theme. These advancements are crucial to addressing growing market demands for sustainable products while maintaining profitability.

Key Topics at the Forefront

Attendees can expect in-depth discussions on:

• The implications of a new European Parliament/Commission for the starch industry, highlighting regulatory changes and strategic responses.
• Value chain diversification for corn ethanol biorefineries, focusing on expanding the scope of starch products.
• Increasing the value of by-products to boost sustainability and open new revenue streams.
• Developing value-added ingredients from agricultural side streams.
• Responding to changing consumer demands around Ultra Processed Foods (UPF), particularly in the context of starch.
• Innovations in milling processes that improve yields and unlock the potential of pulse starch.
• New pathways for fermentation to convert starch into high-value products, enhancing the industry’s sustainability and profitability.

The Power of Plant-Based Proteins

As the EU starch industry continues to innovate, plant-based proteins from cereal crops (such as maize, wheat, barley, and rice), peas, and starch potatoes are playing an increasingly important role. These proteins offer immense value for both food and non-food applications, enhancing the industry’s competitiveness and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Fermentation: Expanding the Potential of Starch

A core focus of this year’s event will be fermentation—a process that transforms starch into a variety of valuable products, including biofuels, biodegradable plastics, and other bio-based chemicals. By utilizing microorganisms to convert starch into chemical compounds, fermentation technologies are unlocking new possibilities for creating high-value, sustainable products.

With ongoing research and development, these technologies are expected to significantly enhance production efficiency and open new markets for starch-derived products.

Why You Should Attend

The 7th EU Starch Value Chain & Fermentation offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the leaders driving the future of the starch industry. Participants will gain valuable insights into:

• How to navigate regulatory changes under the new European Parliament/Commission.
• Proven strategies for by-product valorization and innovations that can enhance profitability.
• Cutting-edge advancements in fermentation and starch processing technologies.
• The latest trends shaping consumer demands, such as the rise of Ultra Processed Foods (UPF) and how the starch industry can respond.

Source: https://www.wivb.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/748265663/driving-innovation-and-sustainability-at-the-7th-eu-starch-value-chain-fermentation-conference-in-berlin/

Source: https://www.cmtevents.com/aboutevent.aspx?ev=241018&

September 26^th 2024

‘The European Commission reduced its forecast for usable production of common wheat in the European Union in 2024/25.‘

A sharp fall in the quality of France’s wheat crop due to excess rain will lead to additional costs for starch makers just as the industry is still suffering from low demand and increasing competition from imports, they said on Thursday.

Starch and its derivatives, made from wheat, maize, potatoes and tapioca, are used in products from ice cream to cosmetics, paints, pills and cardboard due to their sweetening, thickening and texturizing properties.

The French soft wheat harvest, set to be the lowest in 40 years due to excess rain, has also showed poor quality levels, including very low and heterogeneous specific weights, a measure of the size of grains.

“The smaller grains will pose challenges at the industrial level in our factories that will not be easy to resolve,” Marie-Laure Empinet, head of French starch producer group USIPA, said at the lobby’s general assembly.

Small grains have less starch and more cellulose, which is more aggressive for machines and can clog filters. The lower level of starch also means more co-products to handle, she said.

The additional work and potential damage to machines will increase the risks of slowdown, breakdown or replacement, Empinet said.

The four starch companies in France, which include French producers Tereos and Roquette and U.S. giants Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland have decided to lower their standards and accept smaller grains that would have been turned down in a normal harvest, she said.

The additional costs and problems come after starch makers in Europe had already been forced to reduce output and halt some factories due to a drop in demand in the past year.

The French starch industry’s turnover rose 17% to 3.9 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in 2023 due to higher prices but volumes dropped significantly, with falls of 12% for the food sector and 18% for the non-food industry including pharmaceuticals, chemistry, and paper.

Results for the current year were still very uncertain with a rebound in demand still very timid, costs that remain at high levels and strong competition from imports which rose 13% last year to 1 billion euros, USIPA said.

Source: https://www.xm.com/se/research/markets/commodities/reuters/starch-makers-forced-to-adapt-after-poor-wheat-crop-in-france-53934020