Complex formation with starch

Hydrophilic sugar esters (high HLB values) are effective as a quality improver in foods consisting mainly of wheat flour.
Sugar esters combine with starch in a form where the helical structure of the starch envelops the fatty acid group of sugar ester.
When sugar esters are combined with starch, especially amylose, the quality of the starch product is remarkably improved.

(1) Dough of bread, biscuit, cookies, etc.
containing sugar esters can reduce stickiness to machines, and improve the performance as a dough conditioner.
When used in noodles, they prevent elution of starch during boiling (cooking loss) and increase the yield.

(2) The complex of sugar esters and amylose after elution from starch granules lowers the rate of recrystallization with time and prevents starch granules from being concreted. In other words it is effective as a softener in bread or cake.

(3) Sugar esters control the swelling of starch particles, and are utilized to inhibit a 'gummy layer' or 'cheesy layer' in cake and improve the crumb.
<<Figs.>> show the relationship between the HLB of sugar esters or chain length of their composite fatty acid and the gelatinization of starch in a Brabender amylograph.

(4) Sucrose monopalmitate promotes the role of natural glycolipid in wheat flour.
In case of bread containing composite flour, for instance, sugar esters substitute for the flour lipid and promote the expansion of gluten, resulting in voluminous and soft bread.
Though sugar esters have various effects on wheat flour products they are influenced by ash content in sugar esters as in the same manner as emulsifiers.

<<Figs.>>
Influence of sugar ester chain length and HLB values on the gelatinization of potato starch in a Brabender amylograph.
(potato starch:19g,sugar ester:1g,water:450g)

<A> chair length

<B> HLB values