Starch phosphate

Description of product

Starch phosphates are chemically modified starches. They are different compounds formed with phosphoric acid. (Monostarch phosphate E 1410, distarch phosphate E 1412, phosphated distarch phosphate E 1413, acetylated distarch phosphate E 1414).

• Starch phosphates are especially stable against heat and acids.

See also: starch

Application

The most important application are:

• finished products, frozen food
• pudding and desserts
• sauces, mayonnaise, dressings
• pastries, fillings for tortes/cakes/tarts
• instant products (dehydrated food products/dried food products)

Gene technology

This additive is made from starch. Raw materials for starch are plants such as corn, potatoes or wheat.

• Maize starch can contain a certain percentage of GM maize, in particular when the primary product was imported from the USA or Argentina. In the EU, genetically modified maize is grown on a comparativelly small area and nonetheless is not used as raw material for foodstuff. This may change in the case that the cultivation of GM maize increases in significance. Ingredients derived from several types of GM maize are approved in the EU.
• Currently no GM types of potatoes or wheat are commercially cultivated. This could change in the near future.

Labelling: if additives based on starch are directly made from genetically modified plants (e.g. corn) they are liable to be labelled. Legally, it is not fully clarified if this also applies to chemically modified starches. In practice, it has been accepted that labelling not be used.