1 The Amendment of Standard s for Specification, Scope , Application and  
Limitation  of Food Additive s 
   MOHW  Food No.  1071301483, 19 June , 2018  
Appendix 2: Standards for Specification of Food Additives  
12. Pasting Agent  
§ 12008  
Food Starche s, Modified  
Synonyms  Acid treated starch : INS No. 1401  
Alkaline treated starch : INS No. 1402  
Bleached starch : INS No. 1403  
Oxidized starch : INS No. 1404  
Monostarch phosphate : INS No. 1410  
Distarch  phosphate : INS No. 1412  
Phosphated distarch phosphate : INS No. 1413  
Acetylated distarch phosphate : INS No. 1414  
Starch acetate : INS No. 1420  
Acetylated distarch adipate :  INS No. 1422  
Hydroxypropyl starch : INS No. 1440  
Hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate : INS No. 144 2 
Starch sodium octenylsuccinate : INS No. 1450  
Definition  Food starches which have one or more of their original 
characteristics  altered by treatment in accordance with good 
manufacturing practice by  one of the procedures listed in 
Table 1. In the case of starches treated  with heat in the 
presence of acid or with alkali, the alteration is a minor  
fragmentation. When the starch is bleached, the change is 
essentially in  the colo r only. Oxidation involves the 
deliberate production of carboxyl  group s. Acetylation 
results in substitution of hydroxyl groups with acetyl  
esters. Treatment with reagents such as orthophosphoric  2 acid results in  partial substitution in the 2, 3 - or 6- position 
of the anhydroglucose unit  unless the 6 -position is occupied 
for branching. In cases of cross -linking,  where a 
polyfunctional substituting agent, such as phosphorus  
oxychloride, connects two chains, the structure can be 
represented by:  Starch -O-R-O-Starch, where R = 
cross -linking group and Starch refers to  the linear an d/or 
branched structure.  
C.A.S. number  Starch acetate: 9045 -28-7  
Acetylated distarch adipate: 68130 -14-3  
Hydroxypropyl starch: 9049 -76-7  
Hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate: 53124 -00-8  
Starch sodium octenylsuccinate: 6 6829 -29-6 
Description  Most modified starches are white or off -white, odourless 
powders.  According to the drying method these powders 
can consist of whole  granules having the appearance of the 
original native starch, or  aggregates consisting of a number 
of granules (pearl starch , starch -grits)  or, if pre -gelatinized, 
of flakes, amorphous powder or coarse particles.  
Characteristics   
Identification   
Solubility  Insoluble in cold water (if not pre -gelatinized); forming 
typical colloidal  solutions with viscous properties in hot 
water; insoluble in ethanol.  
Microscopy  Passes test  
Modified starches which have not been pre -gelatinized 
retain their  granular structure and can be identified as 
starches by microscopic  observation. Shape, size and 
sometimes striations are characteristic s of the botanical  3 origin. In polarized light under cross nicol prisms the 
typical  polarization cross will be observed . 
Iodine stain  Passes test  
Add a few drops of 0.1 N potassium tri -iodide to an 
aqueous suspension  of the sample. These starches stain with 
iodine in the same way as native  starches. The colour can 
range from dark blue to red . 
Copper reduction  Passes test  
Place about 2.5 g of the sample previously washed with 
water, in a boiling  flask, add 10 ml of dilute hydrochloric 
acid (3%) and 70 ml  of water, mix,  reflux for about three 
hours and cool. Add 0.5 ml of the resulting solution  to 5 ml 
of hot alkaline cupric tartrate TS. A copious red precipitate 
is produced  
Differentiation test  Passes test for type of starch  
1. Hypochlorite oxidized star ch 
2. Specific reaction for acetyl groups  
3. Positive test for ester groups  
Purity   
Sulfur dioxide  Not more than 50 mg/kg for modified cereal starches  
Not more than 10 mg/kg for other modified starches unless 
otherwise  specified in Table 1 
Lead  Not more  than 2 mg/kg  
Additional purity  
specifications for  
individual 
chemically  
modified starches  See Table 1  
Category  Food additives category ( 12)  4 Functional uses  Pasting Agents  
 
Table 1.  Additional purity specifications for individual chemically modified 
starches  (All percentages calculated on dry substance)  
Modification  Process limitations  End-product 
specifications  
Acid treated starch  Treatment with 
hydrochloric  acid or 
ortho -phosphori c acid  or 
sulfuric acid  Final  pH 4.8 – 7.0 
Alkaline treated starch  Treatment with sodium  
hydroxide or potassium  
hydroxide  Final  pH 5.0 – 7.5 
Bleached starch  Treatment with peracetic 
acid and/or hydrogen 
peroxide, or  sodium 
hypochlorite or sodium  
chlorite, or  sulfur dioxide 
or alternative  permitted 
forms of sulfites, or  
potassium permanganate 
or ammonium persulfate  Added carbonyl group 
not more than 0.1%   
No residual reagent  
Residual sulfur dioxide 
not more than 50  mg/kg  
Residual manganese not 
more  than 50  mg/kg  
Oxidized starch  Treatment with sodium  
hypochlorite  Carboxyl groups not 
more than 1.1%  
Residual sulfur dioxide 
not more than 50  mg/kg  
Monostarch phosphate  Esterification with 
orthophosphoric  acid, or 
sodium or  potassium 
ortho -phosphate, or  
sodium tripolyphosphate  Phosphate calculated as 
phosphorus not  more 
than 0.5% for potato or 
wheat, and  not more 
than 0.4% for other  5 starches  
Distarch phosphate  Esterification with sodium  
trimetaphosphate or  
phosphorus oxychloride  Phosphate calculated as 
phosphorus not  more 
than 0.5% for potato 
and wheat, and  not 
more than 0.4% for 
other starches  
Phosphated distarch 
phosphate  Combination of treatments 
for Monostarch phosphate 
and Distarch phosphate  Phosphate calculated as 
phosphorus not  more 
than 0.5% for potato 
and wheat, and  not 
more than 0.4% for 
other starches  
Acetylated distarch 
phosphate  Esterification with sodium  
trimetaphosphate or  
phosphorus oxychloride  
combined with 
esterification  with acetic 
anhydride or vinyl  acetate  Acetyl groups not more 
than 2.5% ; phosphate 
calculated as  
phosphorus not  more 
than 0.14% for potato 
and wheat,  and 0.04% 
for other starches; and 
vinyl  acetate not more 
than 0.1 mg/kg  
Starch acetate  Esterification with acetic  
anhydride or vinyl acetate  Acetyl groups not more 
than 2 .5% 
Acetylated distarch 
adipate  Esterification with acetic  
anhydride and adipic  
anhydride  Acetyl groups not more 
than 2.5% and  adipate 
groups not more than 
0.135%  
Hydroxypropyl starch  Etherification with 
propylene  oxide  Hydroxypropyl  groups 
not more than  7.0%; 
propylene chlorohydrin  6 not more  than 1 mg/kg  
Hydroxypropyl distarch 
phosphate  Esterification with sodium  
trimetaphosphate or  
phosphorus oxychloride  
combined with 
etherification  by propylene 
oxide  Hydroxypropyl groups 
not more t han 7.0%; 
propylene chlorohydrin 
not more  than 1 mg/kg; 
and residual phosphate  
calculated as  
phosphorus not more 
than 0.14% for potato 
and wheat, and not 
more  than 0.04% for 
other starches  
Starch sodium 
octenylsuccinate  Esterification with  
octenylsuccinic  anhydride  Octenylsuccinyl groups 
not more than 3%;  and 
residual octenylsuccinic 
acid not more  than 0.3%  
Oxidized 
Hydroxypropyl Starch  Chlorine, as sod ium 
hypochlorite, not to 
exceed  5.5% of dry starch; 
active  oxygen obtained 
from hydrogen peroxide, 
not to exceed 0.45%; and  
propylene oxide, not  
to exceed 25%   Propylene chlorohydrin 
not more  than 1 mg/kg  
Starch Aluminum 
Octenyl Succinate  Octenyl succinic anhy 
dride, not to exceed 2%, 
and alumin ium sulfate, not  
to exceed 2%  － 
Starch Sodium 
Succinate  Succinic anhydride, not to  
exceed 4%  － 
Distarchoxy Propanol  Acrolein  not to exceed  －  7 0.6%