Starches 

Can you name a few common food sources of starch in our diet?  Yes potato, wheat, rice, corn (maize), tapioca, pasta etc. are some of the common food sources of starch in our diet. Table presents the percentage of starch in some of the foods/food items. 

Starch is the major carbohydrate reserve in plant tubers and seed endosperm where it is found as granules. Starch is second only to cellulose in abundance as one of the main carbohydrates synthesized in plants. Starch also represents the primary energy source (60-80%) for many animals including humans. It’s a very valuable ingredient to the food industry, owing to its versatility, consistent supply and relatively inexpensive cost. Starch is mainly used as a thickener but it can also function as an adhesive, binder, encapsulating agent, film former, gelling agent, water binder, texturizer, fat sparing agent with numerous other applications in the  food and non food areas. We will learn about these various functions of starches in this section. But, first an understanding of its structure is important. Let us learn about the structure.