With a method for digesting starch, an aqueous slurry of the starch is treated with steam in a cooking vessel and in this case exposed to shear forces, wherein the starch-containing slurry is heated to a temperature of between 85□C and 110□C in the cooking vessel by introducing steam, and the digestion step is implemented until the desired degree of digestion has been reached. Also described is a cooking vessel that can be used when the method for digesting starch is being carried out.

An inhibited non-pregelatinized granular starch suitable for use as a food ingredient in substitution for a chemically modified starch may be prepared by heating a non-pregelatinized granular starch in an alcoholic medium in the presence of a base and/or a salt. Steam treatment may be used to enhance the extent of inhibition.

An inhibited non-pregelatinized granular starch suitable for use as a food ingredient in substitution for a chemically modified starch may be prepared by heating a non-pregelatinized granular starch in an alcoholic medium in the presence of a base and/or a salt. Steam treatment may be used to enhance the extent of inhibition.

The present invention provides a nanocomposite hydrogel and a preparation method thereof, and relates to the field of nanocomposite materials. The nanocomposite hydrogel is prepared by mixing completely gelatinized short amylose with an aqueous gelatin solution having a mass concentration of 8%-14%, and then cooling. The present invention utilizes the nanoparticles formed by in-situ self-assembly of the short amylose in the aqueous gelatin solution as a reinforcing agent, and the nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in the hydrogel to form a stable crystallization system, such that the prepared nanocomposite hydrogel exhibits optimal mechanical properties in terms of viscoelasticity, hardness, compressive stress, etc. The preparation process of the present invention is green and environmentally friendly, simple and efficient, and can be widely applied to the fields of food, cosmetics and medicine.

The present invention provides a nanocomposite hydrogel and a preparation method thereof, and relates to the field of nanocomposite materials. The nanocomposite hydrogel is prepared by mixing completely gelatinized short amylose with an aqueous gelatin solution having a mass concentration of 8%-14%, and then cooling. The present invention utilizes the nanoparticles formed by in-situ self-assembly of the short amylose in the aqueous gelatin solution as a reinforcing agent, and the nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in the hydrogel to form a stable crystallization system, such that the prepared nanocomposite hydrogel exhibits optimal mechanical properties in terms of viscoelasticity, hardness, compressive stress, etc. The preparation process of the present invention is green and environmentally friendly, simple and efficient, and can be widely applied to the fields of food, cosmetics and medicine.

The instant application provides methods to improve the total starch yield and/or gluten yield from corn kernels in a wet milling process, the method comprising admixing corn kernels or a fraction of the corn kernels with an enzyme composition comprising an effective amount of one or more hydrolytic enzymes, wherein at least one of said hydrolytic enzymes is selected from the group consisting of a GH30 polypeptide, a GH5 polypeptide or a combination thereof.

The instant application provides methods to improve the total starch yield and/or gluten yield from corn kernels in a wet milling process, the method comprising admixing corn kernels or a fraction of the corn kernels with an enzyme composition comprising an effective amount of one or more hydrolytic enzymes, wherein at least one of said hydrolytic enzymes is selected from the group consisting of a GH30 polypeptide, a GH5 polypeptide or a combination thereof.

Preparing a blend of at least two thermally modified starches of different botanical origins, consisting in: (i) preparing a starch milk containing at least two starches of different botanical origins, having total solids content of between 30 and 40%, and preferably between 35 and 37% by weight, (ii) adding an alkaline agent to obtain a final conductivity of the powder resuspended to 20% solids content of between 0.5 and 5 mS/cm, (iii) ensuring a contact time of between 0.5 and 5 hours, (iv) filtering and drying the starch milk to a moisture content of between 10.5 and 15%, to obtain a starch powder having a conductivity of between 0.5 and 2.5 mS/cm and a pH of between 9 and 10.5,

(v) heating the dried starch powder to a temperature higher than 130° C., preferably between 130 and 220° C., for a residence time of between 10 minutes and 6 hours.

Preparing a blend of at least two thermally modified starches of different botanical origins, consisting in: (i) preparing a starch milk containing at least two starches of different botanical origins, having total solids content of between 30 and 40%, and preferably between 35 and 37% by weight, (ii) adding an alkaline agent to obtain a final conductivity of the powder resuspended to 20% solids content of between 0.5 and 5 mS/cm, (iii) ensuring a contact time of between 0.5 and 5 hours, (iv) filtering and drying the starch milk to a moisture content of between 10.5 and 15%, to obtain a starch powder having a conductivity of between 0.5 and 2.5 mS/cm and a pH of between 9 and 10.5,

(v) heating the dried starch powder to a temperature higher than 130° C., preferably between 130 and 220° C., for a residence time of between 10 minutes and 6 hours.

The present disclosure relates to waxy maize starches having desirably high process stability, and to methods relating to them, including methods for making and using them. One aspect of the disclosure is a waxy maize starch having an amyiopectin content in the range of 90-100%; wherein the amyiopectin fraction of the waxy maize starch has at least 28.0% DP3-12 branches: and no more than 53.0% DP 13-24 branches, no more than 16.0% DP 25-36 branches. Such waxy maize starches can be advantaged over conventional waxy maize starches in that they can have increased process stability, especially with respect to freeze-thaw stability. Methods of making the starch materials, using exo-hydrolyzing enzymes and methods of using the starch materials in food products are also described.