Low Swelling Starch

Abstract

This invention pertains to low swelling starches and their use as food texture modifiers. The invention further pertains to the method of using low swelling starches as fat substitutes in foods. The low swelling starches provide opacity, mouth-coating, and creaminess to foods.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method of modifying the texture of a base food product having a specific desired thickness comprising:
 mixing a low swelling starch in an amount of between 0.1% and 50% (by weight of the product), the low swelling starch having a swelling volume between 7 and 11 ml/g and having a fraction of soluble starch that is less than 20% wt/wt;   wherein the thickness can be measured in Pascal*seconds,   wherein the low swelling starch is added in amount such that it does not impart significant thickness to the food product   wherein the soluble starch fraction is measured as follows:
 a) preparing a 5% starch slurry in 1% NaCl solution in a beaker; 
 b) heating the slurry using a boiling water bath having a minimum temperature of 95° C. for 20 minutes, stirring for the first three minutes and then covering the beaker with a watch glass for the remaining time; 
 c) diluting the slurry to 1% and allowing it to settle for at least 24 hours; 
 d) extracting an aliquot of supernatant of the diluted settled slurry; 
 e) using a refractometer or polarimeter to measure the concentration of starch in the supernatant thereby calculating the percent of swelling starch that is soluble. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the low swelling starch is a crosslinked starch that is crosslinked using sodium trimetaphosphate or a mixture of sodium trimetaphosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate, and has between 0.01 and 0.25% bound phosphate by weight of the starch. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the starch has a swelling volume of between 9 and 10 g/ml. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the low swelling starch is a modified waxy rice starch or modified waxy corn starch. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the low swelling starch is a modified corn starch from a plant which is heterozygous for the recessive sugary-2 allele. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the base food composition comprises a starch and wherein the method further comprise substituting the low swelling starch for at least a portion of the starch. 
     
     
         29 . A food product comprising
 a) between 1% and 25% (by weight of the food product) of a low swelling starch being a sodium trimetaphosphate or a of sodium trimetaphosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate crosslinked waxy rice starch or waxy corn starch from a plant which is heterozygous for the recessive sugary-2 allele, the low swelling starch and having a swelling volume between 7 and 11 ml/g and having a fraction of soluble starch that is less than 20% wt/wt; and   b) a second edible ingredient;   wherein the food product has a viscosity of about 1.0 Pascal*seconds;   wherein the soluble starch fraction is measured as follows:
 a) preparing a 5% starch slurry in 1% NaCl solution in a beaker; 
 b) heating the slurry using a boiling water bath having a minimum temperature of 95° C. for 20 minutes, stirring for the first three minutes and then covering the beaker with a watch glass for the remaining time; 
   c) diluting the slurry to 1% and allowing it to settle for at least 24 hours;   d) extracting an aliquot of supernatant of the diluted settled slurry;   e) using a refractometer or polarimeter to measure the concentration of starch in the supernatant thereby calculating the percent of swelling starch that is soluble.