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International Starch Institute
Science Park Aarhus, Denmark
Starch & Sweetener Dictionary
| ABC | DEF| GHIJ | KLM | NOP | QRST | UVWXYZ |

ABC

Acid conversion. Starch hydrolysis with acid as the catalyst

Acid treated starch or Acid-thinned starch. Granular starch slightly hydrolysed with acid at low temperature.

Acetylated distarch adipate. Acetylated starch crosslinked by adipate groups.

Acetylated distarch phosphate. Crosslinked starch esterified with acetyl groups.

Acetyl value  Acetyl value of a modified starch is % of acetyl groups calculated on starch dry matter. Method: ISI 14 Determination of Acetyl. Content.

Acetylated starch. Granular starch ester with a CH3CO-group introduced at low temperature

Adjunct. Malt substitute. Adjunct syrup is used as a brewing supplement and booster - see wort syrup.

Alkali lability.  Substituents of a modified starch removable by hydrolysis with alkali is titrated. Method: ISI 23 Determination of Alkali Lability.

Alkali numberAlkali Number  is a measure of the average molecular weight of the starch and expressed as ml  0.1N sodium hydroxide, consumed under test conditions.

Amaranth. Amaranth - a common name used for plants with blossoms that do not readily fade when picked.

Amphoteric starch is  modified starch which both cationic and anionic substituents . f.e. cationic potato starch. 

Amylase. Amylase is an enzyme breaking down starch at random. For the liquefaction an a-amylase of bacterial origin is used. For high maltose syrups a ß-amylase is applied for saccharification

Amyloglucosidase (AMG). Enzyme cutting off glucose from the non-reducing end of starch. AMG cuts both 1-4 and 1-6 bonds and enables the manufacture of up to 98 DE syrups, acting optimal on molecules that are 4-5 glucose units long

Amylopectin For most starches amylopectin is the major component, and amylose the minor component. Amylopectin is a branched glucose polymer with typically one 1-6 glucosidic bonds for every 12 glucose units. Amylopectin consists of several 100.000 glucose units.

Amylose. The minor constituent of starch is amylose - a linear glucose polymer with alpha 1-4 glucosidic bonds only. Amylose may contain 200-2000 anhydroglucose units.

Anhydroglucose unit  The glucose unit of amylose and amylopectin minus one molecule of water.

Anhydrous dextrose. The crystalline form of pure a-D-glucose.

Arrowroot. Arrowroots belong to the family Marantaceae. The true arrowroot plant is classified as Maranta arundinacea.

BAN. Brand name of bacterial a -amylase hydrolysing 1,4-a -glucosidic linkages at random.

Banana. Banana make up the genus Musa of the family Musaceae. The plantain, or cooking banana, is classified as Musa x paradisiaca.

Barley. Barley, common name for any of a genus of cereal grasses, native to north temperate regions, and one of the most ancient of cultivated plants.

Barley malt. Barley malt is processed from grain, and retains about 40% of its complex carbohydrates. The remaining sugar composition is 42% maltose, 6% glucose, and about 1% fructose.

Baumé (oBe). Viscosity is measured in Baumé: oBe = 145 - 145/specific gravity at 60 oF. The commercial Baumé = oBe + 1 is used within the glucose industry.

Brabender. Brabender Viscograph is the industry standard in determination og starch viscoisty.

Brix. Brix (oBx). Percentage (w/w) of a sucrose solution. See table for conversion: Beaume - Brix - Dry matter of Glucose Syrups.

Brown rice syrup. Brown rice syrup is an extremely versatile and relatively healthy sweetener which is derived by culturing rice with enzymes to break down the starches.

Carbohydrate. Monosaccahrides or natural organic substance giving monosaccharides by hydrolysis e.g. starch, sugars, cellulose, glucose, fructose, maltose.

Carbon treatment. Activated carbon is used for decolorization and purification of hydrolysates.

Cassava. Cassava belong to the family Euphorbiaceae

Cationic starch. Granular cationic starch ether used in papermaking due to its affinity to cellulose fibres and thereby reducing BOD.

Chemical gain. The increase of dry substance by hydrolysation of starch.

Chips. Chips Sliced and dried cassava roots.

Chiral Means "handedness" - A chiral or asymmetric molecule is one which can be distinguished from its mirror image.

Chromatography. Method for industrial separation of glucose and fructose on a resin-filled column.

Concentrated fruit juice. Concentrated fruit juice is a relatively new sweetener. It is highly refined, and at 68% soluble sugar, is relatively concentrated.

Conversion. Synonym of conversion hydrolysis or hydrolysis.

Converter. Apparatus for the hydrolysis of starch, e.g. The Kirchhoff Lion Reactor.

Corn gluten feed. Corn gluten feed is a medium protein by-product, along with fibre and residual starch

Corn gluten meal. Corn gluten meal is a high-protein, high-energy ingredient consisting of protein (gluten) and yellow pigments separated in the corn wet-milling process

Corn oil. Corn oil is widely used as a cooking oil and for margarine

Crystallisation. In concentrated high DE syrups glucose crystals are formed and precipitate

DEF

DE. Dextrose Equivalent expresses the number of aldehyde groups - reducing ends - relative to pure glucose of same concentration

Derivative. Another term for chemically modified starch e.g. oxidised starch.

Dextrin. Industrial dextrin is granular starch with molecules reorganised by roasting causing the granules to be cold water soluble. Depending on the degree of roasting dextrins are grouped as White Dextrin, Yellow Dextrin and British gum.

Dextrose. Synonym for glucose. Within the industry dextrose is used to describe 100 % pure glucose. Both the anhydrous and the monohydrate form is used.

Dextrose monohydrate. The crystalline form of pure a-D-glucose containing one molecule of water of crystallization. Produced from high DE syrup by crystallization under controlled cooling. The continuous vertical crystallizer has advantages, but not completely outdid the classic horizontal batch crystallizer.

Dextrose anhydrous. The crystalline form of pure a-D-glucose. Produced from high DE syrup by crystallization above 60 oC. 

Dextrozyme.Brand name of a pullulanase and AMG mixture

DP. Degree of Polymerisation is the average number of monosaccharides in a polymer.

Disaccaharide. Carbohydrate with two monosaccharides per molecule, e.g. sucrose, maltose. Sucrose is a disaccharide with one glucose and one fructose per molecule.

DS. (1) Dry Substance = Dry Matter (DM). (2) Degree of Substitution.

DX. Dextrose

Enzyme. Three groups of enzyme catalysts are used in the glucose industry: (1) Alpha-amylase for liquefaction, (2) Amyloglucosidase for sachharification and (3) isomerase for conversion of glucose to fructose.

Enzyme conversion. A two step hydrolysis: Liquefaction with a-amylase and saccharification with amyloglucosidase.

Ethylated starch. Starch, 2-hydroxyethyl ether improves coating and ink holdout. It has good film-forming and produces superior printing paper

Fructose. Fructose   Alpha-D-fructose is an isomer of alpha-D-glucose. Standard fructose syrup contains as much as 42% fructose and enriched syrups as much as 55%. High concentration of fructose is achieved by chromatography.

Fungamyl. Brand name of fungal amylase hydrolysing 1,4-a -glucosidic linkages in formation of substantial amounts of maltose.

GHIJ

Gari. Gari is a processed fermented cassava food.

Gelatinisation. Cooking starch.

Glucose. Glucose is a monosaccharide, C6H12O6 existing as a - and ß-glucose with an optical rotation of +105.2o respectively +20,3o. The synonym dextrose refers to the positive direction of rotation (dextra = right)

Glucose Syrup. Glucose syrup is a liquid starch hydrolysate of mono- di- and higher saccharides.

Granular starch. Starch are formed in plants as tiny granules preserved in starches modified at low temperatures.

High Fructose Syrup. High Fructose Syrup is a liquid starch hydrolysate with a high content of fructose - typically 42, 55 or 90% fructose

HFCS. HFCS = High Fructose Corn Syrup is identical to HFSS.

HFSS. HFSS = High Fructose Starch-based Syrup. HFSS-42 contains 42% fructose and is an all-purpose sweetener. HFSS-55 contains 55% fructose and substitutes sucrose. HFSS-90 contains 90% fructose.

Honey. Honey is a natural invert sugar. It is estimated to be approximately 25% sweeter than table sugar

Hydrol. Mother liquor left by crystallisation of dextrose from glucose syrup.

Hydrolysis. Break down of starch to glucose and smaller polymers by cutting glucosidic bonds with simultaneously uptake of water. Industrial hydrolysis is a two step operation: liquefaction and saccharification.

Invert sugar. Hydrolysed sucrose

Ion exchange. Deionization of the hydrolysate in columns of ion exchange resins.

Isomerase. Enzyme rearranging glucose into fructose. The process reaches a feasible equilibrium with 42% fructose, 53% glucose and 5% higher sugars.

Isomerisation. Restructuring of glucose to fructose

Jet cooker. Apparatus for continuos gelatinisation of starch by direct steam injection

KLM

Karl Kroyer. Karl Kroyer is the Danish inventor of the continuous glucose process.

Liquefaction. Partial hydrolysis of cooked starch followed by a viscosity reduction. Depending on the catalyst the DE of the liquefied starch is 15 - 25.

Liquid sugar. Commercial syrup made by hydrolysing sucrose (invert sugar) or by inverting glucose enzymatically.

Maize. Maize or Corn, common name for a cereal grass widely grown for food and livestock fodder

Maltodextrin. Liquefied starch below 20 DE. Food applications as a carrier and extender.

Maltose. A disaccharide of glucose. ß-amylase is used for maltose rich syrups.

Maltose syrup. Starch syrup high in maltose, typically 45-50% in ordinary conversion syrup and 65-80% in high maltose syrup.

Mannitol. Isomer of sorbitol

Maple syrup. Maple syrup, concentrated from the sap of maple trees, is a uniquely American product.

Millet. Millet belongs to the genera Echinochloa, Milium, Panicum, Pennisetum, and Setana all within the family Poaceae (or Gramineae

Modification. Modification is a process, in which native starch is modified by physical and chemical means to suit various industrial applications, e.g. esterification.

Molasses. Molasses, if manufactured as an end product and not as a by-product of commercial sugar production, can be a good choice of sweeteners.

Monosaccharide. The smallest unit obtained by hydrolysis of carbohydrates, e. g. glucose, and fructose. Glucose is the monosaccharide obtained by hydrolysis of starch.

NOP

Native starch. Native starches designate starch in its natural unmodified form no modification, e.g. native starch from potato, cassava, maize, rice, wheat.

Oat. Oat belongs to the genus Avena of the family Poaceae (or Gramineae)

Oligosaccharide. Carbohydrate giving 2 - 6 monosaccharides by hydrolysis

Oxidised starch. Granular starch with carboxyl groups introduced by oxygenation. Its performance in paper is proven, reduces linting and Improves short-fiber bonding.

Polysaccharide. Carbohydrate giving more than 6 monosaccharides by hydrolysis, e.g. amylopectin, amylose, cellulose.

Potato. Potatoes are produced by plants of the genus Solanum, of the family Solanaceae.

Precoat filtration. Hydrolysate filtration on a filter precoated with filter aid and activated carbon.

Pregelatinised. Pregelatinised starch = cooked and dried starch.

Promozyme. Brand name of pullulanase reducing oligosaccharides after liquefaction

Pullulanase. Pullulan 6-glucanohyrolase catalysing the hydrolysis of 1,6-alpha linkages in pullulan and amylopectin and only acts on molecules with at least two 1,4 bonds

QRST

Retrogradation. Starch crystallisation. Linear chains of starch are able to form crystalline structures - crystallites - causing staling in bread and milky appearance or syneresis in starch gels.

Rice. Rice makes up the genus Oryza of the family Poaceae (or Gramineae).

Rice syrup, brown. Brown rice syrup is an extremely versatile and relatively healthy sweetener which is derived by culturing rice with enzymes to break down the starches

Rye. Rye belongs to the family Poaceae (or Gramineae). It is classified as Secale cereale

Saccharification. Hydrolysis of starch into higher DE syrups after liquefaction.

Sago. Sago starch is prepared from the pith of several genera of palms

Sorbitol. Hexitol - a sugar alcohol - obtained by hydrogenation of glucose.

Sorghum. Sorghum makes up the genus Sorghum in the family Poaceae (or Gramineae).

Sucanat. Sucanat (SUgar CAne NATural) is a brand name for organically grown, dehydrated cane juice.

Sucrose. Sucrose = ordinary sugar from cane or beet is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose. Synonyms: Saccharose, sugar.

Sugar. Sugar = white table sugar is pure sucrose.

Starch. Starch  is a polymer of glucose found as a reserve in most plants. Another glucose polymer found in plants is cellulose. Compared to cellulose, starch is made up of alpha glucosidic bonds, which cause helix-shaped molecules, while cellulose build with beta glucosidic bonds giving straight molecules and a fibrous structure. In plants starch is organised in 1-140 µm granules.

Starch ester  Modified starch with ester groupings like acetylated starch and starch monophosphate. Potato starch is a natural starch phosphate ester.

Starch ether  Modified starch with ether groupings like hydroxypropyl-starch,  cationic starch and carboxymethyl starch

Starch succinate. Anionic starch esterified by succinate groups. The starch may also be crosslinking.

Starch xanthate  Starch esterified by xanthate groups.

Stein-Hall. In the Stein-Hall corrugating process a carrier is prepared by gelatinising 10-20% of the starch using heat and caustic soda. The paste is diluted with water and native granular starch is then added. 

Sucanat. Sucanat  (SUgar CAne NATural) is a brand name for organically grown, dehydrated cane juice.

Sweet potato. Sweet potato belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. It is classified as Ipomoea batatas

Sweetzyme. Brand name of immobilised glucose isomerase

Syneresis. The free setting of water from a starch gel caused by retrogradation.

Termamyl. Brand name of heat-stable a -amylase hydrolysing 1,4-alpha-glucosidic linkages at random.

Thinboiling starch. Acid treated and oxidised starches with low paste viscosity used in paper and textile

UVWXYZ

Wheat. Wheat makes up the genus Triticum of the family Gramineae

White dextrin. Produced by gentle roasting of acidified starch

Wort syrup. Glucose or maltose syrup used as a carbohydrate source (adjunct) in breweries for increasing capacity, adjusting protein content, taste, mouthfeel etc.

Xylitol.  Polyol with five hydroxyl groups. Its relative sweetness compared to sucrose is between 80 and 100.

Yam. Yams make up the genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae.

Yellow dextrin or Canary dextrin. Produced by roasting acidified starch. It is cold water soluble. Used as a glue and has a good tack.


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Keywords: starch glucose fructose dextrose syrup potato corn maize cassava tapioca