Uses and Importance
Why the need for this material? What are its uses?
Starch is scientifically known as amylum. It is the storage form of carbohydrate in plants and is a polysaccharide, meaning it consists of many glucose molecules bonded together. It can be found in seeds, roots and in stems of a plant. As a storage system is provides food for growing seeds and plants in their resting period. Besides its uses in plants, it is also the most important carbohydrate in the human diet. It is tasteless and does not dissolve in cold water or alcohol. Processed starch is used to produce many of the sugars in processed foods. It can also be used as a gluing agent when heated, and is used in papermaking because of its adhesiveness when heated. Similarly, it can be used as a food additive, as its thickened state can be used as stabilisers in foods such as puddings and soups. Potato starch is used as:
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