Modified starches are native starches — from wheat, maize or potato — that have been reacted to develop specific behaviour: the ability to carry texture and structure into the food they are added to.
Depending on the process, starches gain functionality suited to particular preparation techniques. Cross-linking and substitution are the two main routes, and each needs its own reagent.
The modification reagents we supply
We supply the additives used to cross-link and substitute starch: Adipic Acid, Magnesium Oxide, Octenyl Succinic Anhydride (OSA), Sodium Trimetaphosphate (STMP) and Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP).
What we supply
Adipic AcidMagnesium OxideOctenyl Succinic AnhydrideSodium TrimetaphosphateSodium Tripolyphosphate
Cross-linking Creates bridges between starch chains at specific connection points. The granules stay inflated and the loss of viscosity through processing drops — the reason cross-linked starch survives severe heat, as in sterilised preserves.
Substitution Gives starch its stabilisation property, particularly through freeze-thaw cycles. Molecules holding the chains apart stop them recombining, which minimises retrogradation.
Where the starch comes from Modified starches are plant-based, derived from cereals (maize and wheat) and tubers (potatoes) — carbohydrates whose behaviour is then engineered rather than replaced.
What modification buys you Easier food preparation, better conservation, and stability under conditions native starch cannot hold — the functional gains that justify the process step.