Modified food starches are vital in the food industry, allowing manufacturers to fine-tune key product characteristics and ensure stability. The role of starch as a food additive is broad, supporting successful formulations across nearly all food and beverage products, including sauces, desserts, and frozen foods. Learn more about common applications of starch in the food industry and how Tilley Distribution can support your product development.
What Are Food Starches?
Food starches are derived from several natural sources, including corn, tapioca, potato, and rice. Aside from their source, starches are further categorized by their functionality, such as functional starches (sometimes called “native starches”), modified starches, and specialty starches.
What Are Functional Starches?
Functional (native) starches are derived from natural sources and are not chemically modified. Functional starches meet clean label and non-GMO claims and include potato starch, tapioca starch, and corn starch.
What Is Modified Food Starch?
Modified starches are chemically enhanced to amplify or refine their functional properties. Modified corn starch and other products are typically more chemically and thermally-stable than native starches and can be designed to meet application-specific requirements for thickening, gelling, or freeze-thaw stability.
Food Starch Applications and Benefits
It’s difficult to overstate the role of starch in the food industry. Starch additives are used in almost every CPG available and help manage production costs for producers. Functionally, they solve several formulation challenges.
- Thickening – Similar to hydrocolloids, starches allow manufacturers to adjust the viscosity and structure of products like soups, sauces, and desserts. They also improve texture and keep products consistent for longer periods.
- Freeze/thaw applications – Starch makes frozen meals and desserts more resilient to freezing and thawing by reducing water separation.
- Clean label – Most functional starches meet clean label initiatives and may be certified as non-GMO, organic, and gluten-free.
- Nutrient-rich – Both native and modified starches add fiber content to products without contributing significantly to calorie count.
How Starch Became an Industry Staple
The application of starch in baked goods, dairy products, sauces, and frozen meals has helped manufacturers provide healthy, delicious products at competitive prices for centuries. The first industrial application of starch dates back to Ancient Egypt, while Europeans developed potato starch mills in the 19th century. The Second World War spurred the first application of modified starches at commercial scale; before the 1940s, food additives that contained starch were seldom used. Efforts to derivatize starch and pair it with hydrocolloids like locust bean gum ultimately led to a wave of food starch ingredients, many of which are still used today.
The global food starch market reached $27 billion in 2024, with a forecast CAGR of 4.3% through 2033. Starches will remain a fixture in consumer food products for decades to come, due to their versatility, increased demand for finished food, and consumer interest in clean-label and non-GMO offerings.
Your Source for Food Starch Ingredients and Formulation
Tilley Distribution offers a range of starches for confectionery applications, sauces and soups, and frozen foods. Our in-house technical team brings deep experience to assist with new product development and reformulation, helping customers achieve their goals as efficiently as possible. See what makes Tilley Distribution the ideal partner to grow your brand. Contact us to speak with a Tilley representative today.
