When used in creams and custards native starches tend to deliver a firm gel, which is easy to cut and does not stick to the knife but lacks good texture and mouthfeel properties. Most modified starches, on the other hand, deliver on the mouthfeel but make a sticky mess when the cake is served.
This can put bakers in something of a quandary. In the past, the may have tried to find their own solution by combining native starch and modified starch, but it can be very hard to achieve the right results consistently, Caroline Sanders, marketing manager at Tate & Lyle, told FoodNavigator.com.
With its new starch, called Resistamyl 140, Tate & Lyle sought to find the a middle ground between the two. When used in hot-processed creams for pastry or biscuit layers, it is said to give good adhesiveness but still be shapable – and does not stick to the equipment.
“Sometimes you want to cut a cake, but it’s a mess by the time you put it on a plate,” said Sanders. “It can help bakers design a high quality product with good mouthfeel.”
She said the real market benefit is that it provides the tools to modulate viscosity. While the major obstacles in getting the firmness/mouthfeel balance right have been overcome, bakers can then combine Resistamyl 140 with native starches themselves to fine-tune the texture to suit their precise needs.
The new starch is an extension of Tate & Lyle’s existing Resistamyl line and is not intended to replace other offerings. It is said to be easy to handle, and to require only short cooking time.