Glossary

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Starch

The most commonly occuring carbohydrate in human food

Starch is a substance that plants use to store energy. It is the end product of photosynthesis and can be stored for later use in seeds, tubers, and roots.

Chemically, starch is a polysaccharide comprised of glucose molecules linked together in long chains. Before it can be taken up by animals, starch needs to be broken down by enzymes into individual sugar units.

Many different forms of starch are used in foods for many different purposes. Starch can serve as an adhesive, carrier substance, filler, or thickener. Starch saccharification takes plant starch and breaks it down into sugar with industrially produced enzymes.

Starch is an important renewable resource for the chemical, paper, and packaging industry. It can be used to produce paste, adhesives, lubricants, films, building materials, synthetics, and biodegradable packaging. The different forms of starch - amylose or amylopectin - are critical for its various properties.