Patent Description:
Starch is glucose polymers, amylose and amylopectin, obtainable from plants. Amylose and amylopectin, however, do not exist free within a plant but instead exist in granules made of a plurality amylopectin (and usually) amylose polymers. The granule has crystalline and amorphous regions, and when heated in water the granule swells and eventually breaks down, a process called gelatinization. The swelling allows starch to act as a thickener, but that effect breaks down as the starch does.

Within the art inhibition refers to any one of a set of processes that, among other things, are used to modify starch so that it resists gelatinization. One previous set of inhibition processes involve heating a dehydrated starch at temperatures above the starch's gelatinization temperature. Some previous thermal inhibition processes dehydrated starch in alcohol then heated the alcohol slurry (a wet process). Other previous processes dehydrate starch in air or vacuum(a dry process). Such processes commonly had various drawbacks, including but not limited, to progressing too slowly to run in a continuous process, producing noticeable flavors such as noticeable vinyl flavors or noticeable grainy flavors, and producing browner starch. This specification discloses improved methods for obtaining thermally inhibited starches that overcome the foregoing and other problems.

<CIT> describes an acid conversion process by which native and modified starches may be treated to afford products with low viscosity and a higher proportion of lower molecular weight compounds than the corresponding aqueous acid conversion processes.

<CIT> describes thermally-inhibited, pregelatinized non-granular starches and flours prepared by pregelatinizing the starch or flour and thermally inhibiting the starch or flour by dehydrating the starch or flour to anhydrous or substantially anhydrous and then heat treating the dehydrated starch.

<CIT> describes a process of preparing thermally inhibited starches using oligosaccharides to improve the rate of inhibition.

<CIT> describes a process for producing thermally inhibited starch, specifically thermally inhibited non- pregelatinized granular starch, described to result in a viscostable starch product. The process comprises providing an alkaline starch, specifically an alkaline non-pregelatinized granular starch,having a pH of at least <NUM>; subjecting the starch to a hydrothermal treatment, specifically to obtain a hydrothermally treated non-pregelatinized granular starch, said hydrothermal treatment being at a temperature of <NUM> -<NUM> with steam at a steam pressure of <NUM>-<NUM> bar or a gas mixture comprising water vapor at a partial water vapor pressure of <NUM>-<NUM> bar; dehydrating the starch, specifically the hydrothermally treated non-pregelatinized granular starch,to a moisture content of <NUM> wt% or lower and subjecting the starch to a thermal treatment by heating the starch to a temperature of <NUM> -<NUM> to obtain viscostability,cooling and optionally further processing the starch.

<CIT> describes methods for preparing thermally inhibited starch agglomerates. It is described that thermally inhibited starch agglomerates prepared by this method provide a higher viscosity over thermally inhibited starches that are not agglomerated but are thermally inhibited in the same manner as the thermally inhibited starch agglomerates.

<CIT> describes thermally inhibited polysaccharides and improved processes of preparing them, wherein the improvement is dehydrating the polysaccharides under increased pressure and/or increased effective oxygen concentrations to produce compositions of improved organoleptic properties, including color, flavor and odor.

<CIT> relates to a physically modified sago starch which is described to exhibit an increased onset of gelatinization temperature and controlled viscosity development, yet to retain significant hot and cold viscosity.

<CIT> describes a method for preparing an inhibited starch with improved warehouse storage stability, comprising the steps of a) providing a slurry containing a native granular starch obtained from a starch containing raw material, b) adding at least one amino acid, or a combination of two or more of these, and at least one oxidant to the slurry with a view to inhibiting the granular starch, c) adding at least one organic acid or a bisulfite to the slurry with a view to eliminating residual reactant chemicals, off-tastes, and undesired smell, and d) adding at least one antioxidant to the slurry with a view to stabilizing the achieved inhibition of the starch during warehouse storage,.

<NPL> describes a dry reaction method for the esterification of root and cereal starches with organic poly-carbonic acids.

<CIT> describes the preparation of thermally-inhibited starches and flours which are functionally equivalent to chemically-crosslinked starches by a process which comprises the steps of dehydrating a granular starch or flour to anhydrous or substantially anhydrous and heat treating the dehydrated starch or flour for a time and at a temperature sufficient to inhibit the starch. Preferably the pH of the starch is adjusted to neutral or greater (e.g., pH <NUM>-<NUM>) prior to the dehydration.

<CIT> describes a method comprising thermally or non-thermally dehydrating a grain to anhydrous or substantially anhydrous, and then heat treating this dehydrated grain.

According to the invention there is provided a thermally inhibited starch as defined in the claims.

In any embodiment described in this specification thermally inhibited starch is obtained from a granular starch (meaning not gelatinized). In any embodiment described in this specification a thermally inhibited starch is a granular starch (meaning not gelatinized). In any embodiment a starch useful for thermal inhibiting may obtained from milling a starch containing plant part to obtain a milled plant material (e.g. a flour). Following milling a milled plant material may include starch and protein, which are present in the milled plant material in essentially the same proportion (w/w) as they existed in the unmilled plant part. Following milling, a milled plant material may be fractionated (for example by a dry process using air classification, or a wet process using isoelectric point isolation or hydrocylonic separation) to adjust the weigh percentage proportion of one component of milled plant material relative to another (e.g. increasing starch content relative protein). In any embodiment a process for making a thermally inhibited starch may be applied to any starch-containing milled or milled and fractionated plant material. In any embodiment a process for making a thermally inhibited starch may be applied to a milled and fractionated plant material having greater than about <NUM>% starch (w/w), or greater than about <NUM>% starch (w/w), or greater than about <NUM>% starch (w/w). In any embodiment a thermally inhibited starch may be obtained by thermally inhibiting a milled plant material or a milled and fractionated plant material; in such embodiments the thermally inhibited starch may present in the thermally inhibited milled or milled and fractionated plant material or may be further fractionated following thermal inhibition. In any embodiment a thermally inhibited starch is obtained from a food grade starch (as defined for example by the US Pharmacopeia). In any embodiment a starch useful in a thermal inhibition process includes less than <NUM>% protein (w/w) or is less than <NUM>% or, is less than <NUM>%.

"Inhibition" of starch is a known term in the art, and within this specification is understood to have its full range of meaning. While not limiting the full meaning of inhibition of starch, an inhibited starch (and the level, degree, or amount that a starch is inhibited) can be described relative to the thickening power or swelling power of a starch, and an inhibited starch can be thought of as being highly inhibited - and thus having relatively low thickening power or swelling power - moderately inhibited, or having low inhibition.

"Gelatinization" of starch is a known term in the art that covers a set of phenomena occurring when starch is heated water (depending on time and temperature). Within this specification gelatinization is understood to have its full meaning within the art. While not limiting the full meaning of gelatinization of starch, in any embodiment ungelatinized starch exhibits a Maltese cross diffraction pattern when viewed under polarized light; gelatinized starch does not.

"Thermal inhibition," as used in this specification, refers to any process that heats ungelatinized, dehydrated starch in a manner that inhibits the starch. Thermal inhibition refers to both wet and dry processes for thermally inhibiting starch.

In this specification, "dry thermal inhibition" refers to a process wherein starch is dehydrated and thermally inhibited in essentially moisture free conditions. In some embodiments the moisture free conditions include thermally inhibiting starch any gas where the gas will not react with the starch. In illustrative non-limiting embodiments, the gas is air, which may be at any pressure, or for example at about <NUM> atmosphere of pressure. In illustrative, non-limiting embodiments the starch may be inhibited in low gas pressure, or essentially under vacuum conditions. In any embodiment a dry thermal inhibition process produces a dry thermally inhibited starch.

In this specification, a "wet thermal inhibition" process refers to a process wherein starch is dehydrated, thermally inhibited, or both in a non-aqueous solution, such as an alcohol solution. Starch made in a wet thermally inhibition process is referred to as a wet thermally inhibited starch.

In any embodiment, thermally inhibited starches can be made from one or more of the following base materials corn, waxy corn, high amylose corn, tapioca, waxy tapioca, potato, waxy potato, rice, waxy rice, sago, arrowroot, legume (seeds from plants of the family leguminosae, including peas, chick peas, lentils, fava beans, lupin bean, and mung bean), sorghum, barley, waxy barley, and wheat. Within in this specification reference to waxy corn starch includes reference to hybrids, crossbreeds, and other waxy corn starch variants, including but not limited to a hybrid waxy corn starch sold by Ingredion Incorporated under the name WaxiPro® corn starch. Within this specification, waxy, as a descriptor of a starch, means a starch having low amylose, such as less than about <NUM>% or, or less about <NUM>%, or less that about <NUM>%, or less than about <NUM>%, or less than about <NUM>% or essentially <NUM>% amylose content by weight. Within in this specification high amylose as a description of a starch means a starch having great than about <NUM>% amylose, for example by not limited to starch having about <NUM>% amylose content by weight or starch having about <NUM>% weight amylose in a starch granule.

The present technology pertains to thermally inhibited starch and to dry thermally inhabited starch. In some embodiments a dry thermally inhibited starch has a whiteness as described by a Hunter L that is equal to the whiteness of a native starch from the same base. In various other embodiments a dry thermally inhibited starch has a Hunter L value of greater than about <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM>. In any embodiment of the thermally inhibited starch, the forgoing whiteness is obtained regardless of the level of inhibition. In various embodiments the foregoing whiteness is obtained regardless of washing, starch may be washed using known techniques to further improve the whiteness of the obtained starch.

In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch or a dry thermally inhibited starch has a whiteness as described by a Hunter L value of <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> and has improved flavor such as reduced grainy flavor, cardboard flavor, plastic flavor, vinyl flavor or mixtures thereof. In any embodiment of the thermally inhibited starch, the foregoing whiteness and improved flavor is obtained regardless of the level of inhibition.

In some embodiments a thermally inhibited, or dry thermally inhibited starch is thermally inhibited to have a desired hot peak viscosity. In any embodiments a hot peak viscosity can be measured using a Micro-Visco-AmyloGraph (MVAG) (available for example from Brabender GmbH & Co KG), which plots the relative viscosity changes in a starch slurry over a defined time and temperature course. In any embodiment a thermally inhibited starch can be measured in Micro-Visco-AmyloGraph Units ("MVAG-Units," "MVU"). Commonly MVAG plots measure the viscosity change of starch slurry as temperature ramps from relatively cool to a peak hot temperature at which the starch slurry is held for a defined time. A commonly used MVAG plot records the viscosity changes of a <NUM>% starch solids slurry having pH <NUM> during the following time and temperature course: heating of starch slurry from room temperature to <NUM>° C, further heating of slurry from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C at a heating rate of <NUM>/min and holding slurry at <NUM>° C for <NUM> minutes (also called in this specification <NUM>° C + <NUM>). Extended MVAG testing may further plot the viscosity change of the slurry as it cools after heating is completed at <NUM>° C + <NUM>. A useful viscosity measurement is the peak hot viscosity, which is the highest viscosity obtained between <NUM>° C and <NUM>° C + <NUM>. In embodiments a starch is inhibited to have a peak hot viscosity of up to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> and about <NUM> MVU, or less than about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU.

In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch or dry thermally inhibited starch has a high level of inhibition, which can be described as a thermally inhibited starch having a peak hot viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) of less than about <NUM> MVU, or less than about <NUM> MVU or less than about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to less than about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to less than about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to less than about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to <NUM> MVU. In some embodiments a highly thermally inhibited starch has a peak hot viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) of about <NUM> to less than about <NUM> MVU. In some embodiments a highly thermally inhibited starch has a peak hot viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) of about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited a highly thermally inhibited starch further has a rising viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C +<NUM> minutes. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited a highly thermally inhibited starch further has a viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C +<NUM> of about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited a highly thermally inhibited starch further has a viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C +<NUM> of about <NUM> to <NUM> MVU. In some embodiments a highly thermally inhibited starch further has a viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C +<NUM> of about <NUM> to <NUM> MVU. In any embodiments thermally inhibited starch having a high level of inhibition further has a whiteness (as measured by Hunter L value) of greater than about <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or about <NUM> and about <NUM> or about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiments, thermally inhibited starch having a high level of inhibition further has a whiteness (as measured by Hunter L value) of about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiments thermally inhibited starch having a high level of inhibition further has a whiteness (as measured by Hunter L value) of about <NUM>. In any embodiments a starch having highly thermal inhibition further has improved flavor such as reduced grainy flavor, cardboard flavor, plastic flavor, vinyl flavor or mixtures thereof.

In any embodiments a thermally inhibited starch or dry thermally inhibited starch has a moderate level of inhibition, which can be described as a thermally inhibited starch having a peak hot viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) of about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to <NUM> MVU. In any embodiments a thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition has a peak hot viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) of about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition has a peak hot viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) of about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition further has a steady viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C +<NUM> minutes or a viscosity that varies less than about <NUM> MVU, or less than about <NUM> MVU, or less than about <NUM> MVU, or less than about <NUM> MVU. In any a thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition further has a whiteness of greater than about <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> or about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiments, thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition further has a whiteness (as measured by Hunter L value) of about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiments, thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition further has a whiteness (as measured by Hunter L value) of about <NUM>. In any embodiments, thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition further has a whiteness (as measured by Hunter L value) of about <NUM>. In any embodiments a starch having moderately thermal inhibition further has improved flavor such as reduced grainy flavor, cardboard flavor, plastic flavor, vinyl flavor or mixtures thereof.

In any embodiments, a thermally inhibited starch or dry thermally inhibited starch has a low level of inhibition which can be described as a thermally inhibited starch having a peak hot viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) of about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, MVU or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU in a continuous process. In any embodiments a thermally inhibited starch having a low level of inhibition has a peak hot viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) of about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU. In any embodiments a thermally inhibited starch having a low level of inhibition has a peak hot viscosity (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) about <NUM> to about <NUM> MVU. In any embodiments a thermally inhibited starch in slurry (<NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) having low inhibition, further has a steady viscosity from <NUM>° to <NUM>° +<NUM> minutes or has a viscosity that varies less than about <NUM> MVU, or less than about <NUM> MVU, or less than about <NUM> MVU, or less than about <NUM> MVU. In any embodiments a starch having low thermal inhibition further has a whiteness (as measured by Hunter L value) of greater than about <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or about <NUM> and about <NUM> or about <NUM> and about <NUM>. In any embodiments a starch having low thermal inhibition further has a whiteness (as measured by Hunter L value) of about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiments a starch having low thermal inhibition further has a whiteness (as measured by Hunter L value) of about <NUM>. In any embodiments a starch having low thermal inhibition further has improved flavor such as reduced grainy flavor, cardboard flavor, plastic flavor, vinyl flavor or mixtures thereof.

Relative viscosity of a starch slurry over a defined time and temperature course may also be measured using a rapid-visco-analyzer (RVA), which reports viscosity in cP. RVA tests may use the same time and temperature course as used for MVAG testing. Like MVAG, it is useful to know the peak hot viscosity of a starch slurry during an RVA test. Peak hot viscosity has the same meaning in RVA testing as it does in MVAG testing - i.e. obtained between <NUM>° C and <NUM>° C + <NUM>. MVU and cP do not necessarily correspond but calibrating standards are known to allow for conversion between units, for example, published at http://www. dk/ISI/methods/19brabenderNotes. Useful peak viscosities as measured by cP are generally within the same ranges as for MVU. Accordingly, in embodiments, a starch is inhibited to have a peak hot viscosity of up to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> and about <NUM> cP. Similarly highly inhibited starches have peak hot viscosity of less than about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP. Moderately inhibited starches have a peak hot viscosity of about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP. Starches having low inhibition have peak hot viscosity of about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> cP.

In some embodiment a thermally inhibited starch or dry thermally inhibited starch may have a swelling volume, which may also be referred to as a sediment volume (i.e. volume of the starch sediment after being allowed to fully swell), or a swelling power. Generally highly inhibited starch swells less than lesser inhibited starches. Swelling volume varies greatly based on measurement conditions, including how much starch is used in the testing solution, as salt prevents starch swelling. Swelling volumes for highly, moderately and lowly inhibited starches range from about <NUM> to about <NUM>/L and all subranges within. Swelling volume may be measured as follows: a) preparing a <NUM>% starch slurry in <NUM>% NaCl solution in a beaker; b) heating the slurry in the beaker using a boiling water bath having a minimum temperature of <NUM>° C. for <NUM> minutes, stirring for the first <NUM> minutes and then cover with a watch glass for the remaining time; c) diluting the slurry to <NUM>% and allowing to settle for <NUM> hours and optionally and measuring the volume of the settled starch.

In other non-limiting embodiments specification discloses methods for making a thermally inhibited starch or a dry thermally inhibited starch. In any embodiment described in this specification, a method for thermally inhibiting a starch may be thought of as including a starch preparation step and a thermal inhibition step. In any embodiment a starch preparation step includes an optional neutralization step, a buffering step and a pH adjusted step. In any embodiment described in this specification, a thermal inhibition step includes a dehydration step and a thermal inhibition step.

In any embodiment starch preparation step is carried out in one or more starch slurries, where slurry is used as it is commonly used in the art. Without limiting the full understanding of the term, a slurry may be understood to be a semiliquid mixture, comprising liquid and fine particles. Starch slurries useful in this invention do not have lower solids content limit. At an upper bound, the starch content is high enough that the mixture is no longer semiliquid; in this state the composition may be referred as a starch cake - i.e. wet starch that sticks together and is able to form a cohesive mass. In any embodiment a starch slurry comprises about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% starch by weight of the slurry, or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%, or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%, or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>%. In any embodiment starch slurries useful for making thermally inhibited starch have solids content between <NUM>% to <NUM>% starch solids. In any embodiment a slurry useful for making a thermally inhibited starch is an aqueous slurry.

In any embodiment, a method for making a thermally inhibited starch as described in this specification comprises, prior to thermal inhibition, soaking a starch in a buffered solution or an aqueous buffered solution to form a buffered starch. In any embodiment the forgoing buffering step uses a suitable food grade buffer. In any embodiment described in this specification, a food grade buffer useful for making a thermally inhibited starch is a conjugate acid, or salt of an organic acid. In at least some embodiments the buffer is a carbonate buffer or a citrate buffer. In some embodiments a food grade buffer is potassium citrate and/or tripotassium citrate. In any embodiment a food grade buffer is added to a starch slurry prior to thermal inhibition in an amount less than less than about <NUM>% by weight of the starch or less than <NUM>%, or less than about <NUM>% or less than about <NUM>% or less than about <NUM>% or less than about <NUM>% or between greater than <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% or the starch.

In any embodiment using a citrate buffer and/or citric acid in the pH adjustment step the total citrate and citric acid content of the slurry is less than about <NUM>% by weight of the starch, or less than about <NUM>% or less than about <NUM>% or less than about <NUM>% or less than about <NUM>% or between greater than <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% or the starch. In some embodiments a method of making a thermally inhibiting starch or dry thermally inhibited starch comprises adjusting the pH of a starch by adding a buffer (e.g. a citrate buffer) in an amount about <NUM>% and about <NUM>% (w/w of starch) to a starch slurry. In some embodiments a method of making a thermally inhibiting starch or dry thermally inhibited starch comprises adjusting the pH of a starch by adding a buffer (e.g. a citrate buffer) in an amount about <NUM>% and about <NUM>% (w/w of starch) to a starch slurry. In some embodiment a method of making a thermally inhibiting starch or dry thermally inhibited starch comprises adjusting the pH of a starch by adding a buffer (e.g. a citrate buffer) in an amount of about <NUM>% and about <NUM>% (w/w of starch) to a starch slurry. In any embodiment a starch is soaked in a buffered solution for at least about <NUM> hours or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or from about <NUM> hours to about <NUM> hours or from about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours. It is observed that the pH of the slurry increases over time during soaking such that after soaking a starch in buffer solution for from <NUM> to <NUM> hours, the starch slurry's pH is from about <NUM> to about <NUM>.

It is observed that starch commonly has a natural pH of about <NUM> to about <NUM>, but that commonly the processes used to separate starch from protein alter the starch's natural pH. In any embodiment described in this specification, prior to buffering, a starch may be obtained having a pH other than a natural pH of from about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiment of the processes described in this specification, a starch is obtained having a pH less than about <NUM> and adjusting the pH of the starch by soaking the starch in a solution including a suitable base (including but not limited to sodium hydroxide) to obtain a starch having a pH of from about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiment of the processes described in this specification, a starch is obtained having a pH greater than about <NUM> and adjusting the pH of the starch by soaking the starch in a solution including a suitable acid (including but not limited to hydrochloric acid) to a starch having a pH of from about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiment described in this specification, a starch is soaked in acidic or basic solution until a starch slurry has a stable pH of from <NUM> to <NUM>. In any embodiment described in this specification, a starch is soaked in acidic or basic solution for at least about <NUM> hours or for about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or from about <NUM> hours to about <NUM> hours or from about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours.

In any embodiment described in this specification, a method for making a thermally inhibited starch comprises adjusting the pH of a buffered starch slurry to an acidic pH prior to thermal inhibition. In any embodiment a buffered starch is adjusted to a native pH and is soaked in a buffered solution for at least about <NUM> hours or <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or from about <NUM> hours to about <NUM> hours or from about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours. In any embodiment a starch is pH adjusted to an acidic pH for enough time for the pH of the starch slurry to stabilize at a pH of from greater than <NUM> to less than <NUM>, or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM> or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM> or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM> or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or to more than about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiment adjusting the pH of the slurry may including adjusting the pH to about <NUM> and <NUM>. In any embodiment the adjusting the pH slurry may include adjusting the pH to about <NUM> to about <NUM>. In any embodiment the adjusting the pH may include adjusting the pH to about <NUM> or at least about <NUM>. In any embodiment a starch's pH is measured by, after dewatering and drying the starch from solution, resuspending the dry starch in water in a water to starch ratio of <NUM>:<NUM> and measuring the pH.

In any embodiment disclosed in this specification amount pH of the acidic starch slurry is controlled to limit or prevent the starch hydrolysis, as measured by soluble content. In any embodiment disclosed in this specification a thermally inhibited starch has soluble content of less than about <NUM>%, or less about <NUM>%, or less than about <NUM>%, or less than about <NUM>% or essentially <NUM>%.

In any embodiment adjusting the pH of a starch comprises adding a food grade acid to a starch or a starch slurry. In any embodiment a food grade acid is any food grade or organic or mineral acid. In some embodiments a food grade acid used to adjust the pH of a starch or starch slurry include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid. In some embodiments a food grade acid is hydrochloric acid.

In any embodiment a method for making a thermally inhibited starch comprises, prior to thermal inhibition, dehydrating a starch to desired moisture content (w/w/) to obtain a starch having a desired low moisture content. In various embodiments the recovered, pH is adjusted starch is dehydrated to a moisture content of less than about <NUM>% or less than about <NUM>%, or less than about <NUM>% or less than about <NUM>% or less than about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% moisture content by weight of the starch, or to about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or to about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%, or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%, or to about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%, or to about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%, or to about <NUM>% and about <NUM>%, or to about <NUM>% to <NUM>% or to about <NUM>%, or to about <NUM>%. In some embodiments a pH adjusted starch is dried to moisture content of about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%, or to about <NUM>% moisture content by weight of the starch, which is sometimes called to a substantially anhydrous state. In some embodiments a pH adjusted starch is dried to moisture content of about <NUM>% to about <NUM>%, or to about <NUM>% moisture content by weight of the starch, which is sometimes called to an anhydrous state. In any embodiment a starch is dehydrated using conventional dry techniques such as flash drying, or oven drying, or freeze drying, or spray drying, or drying in a reactor suitable for thermally inhibiting a starch such as a fluidized bed rector. In any embodiment a method of making a dry thermally inhibited starch comprises drying a starch or a pH adjusted starch at a temperature sufficient to dry the starch but below the starch's gelatinization temperature. In any embodiment a method of making a thermally inhibited starch comprises drying a starch at a temperature below about <NUM>° C, or below about <NUM>° C or below about <NUM>° C, or below about <NUM>° C or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or between about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C.

In any embodiment a method for making a thermally inhibited starch comprises dry heating a pH adjusted, dehydrated starch to one or more temperatures exceeding the starch's gelatinization temperature. In some embodiments the method comprises dry heating a dehydrated starch to a temperature above about <NUM>° C, or above about <NUM>° C, or above about <NUM>° C, or above about <NUM>° C, or above about <NUM>° C, or above about <NUM>° C, or above about <NUM>° C, or above about <NUM>° C, or above about <NUM>° C, or up to a temperature of about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C, or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C. In any embodiment a starch is heated to a temperature about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C. In any embodiment a starch is heated to a temperature of about <NUM>° C. In any embodiment a starch is heated to a temperature of about <NUM>° C. In any embodiment a starch is heated to a temperature of about <NUM>° C.

In various embodiments a method for making a thermally inhibited starch comprises dry heating a pH adjusted, dehydrated starch for less than about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or to about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hour, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> hours, about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> hours or about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> hours, or about <NUM> hour. In any embodiment a starch may thermally inhibited dry heating a pH adjusted, dehydrated starch for about <NUM> minutes (<NUM> hours) and about <NUM> minutes (<NUM> hours). In any embodiment a starch may thermally inhibited dry heating a pH adjusted, dehydrated starch for about <NUM> minutes (<NUM> hours) and about <NUM> minutes (<NUM> hour). In any embodiment a starch may thermally inhibited dry heating a pH adjusted, dehydrated starch for about <NUM> minutes (<NUM> hours) and about <NUM> minutes (<NUM> hours). In any embodiment a starch may thermally inhibited dry heating a pH adjusted, dehydrated starch for about <NUM> hour and <NUM> hours.

Reference to dry heating mean heating in air or other gas that does not chemically react with starch under the above described heating conditions. Dry heating is contrasted with heating in alcohol or other non-aqueous solution. Air used for dry heating may have various moisture content, but in any embodiment the moisture content of the air is less than needed to gelatinize the starch. In any embodiment starch is dehydrated in air at air pressure of about <NUM> atmosphere. In any embodiment starch is thermally inhibited in air at air pressure of about <NUM> atmosphere.

In some embodiments, the dehydrating and the thermally inhibiting may occur in the same apparatus. In some embodiments the dehydrating and the thermally inhibiting steps may occur in separate or different apparatuses.

In any embodiment, during thermally inhibiting, the starch (i.e. the pH adjusted starch and/or the pH adjusting and dehydrated starch) may be substantially free of alcohol. As used herein, "substantially free, means less than about <NUM> wt% alcohol, including less than about <NUM>% wt or less than <NUM>% wt, based on the weight of the starch. In any embodiment, during thermally inhibiting the starch may comprise no alcohol. In any embodiment, during dehydration the starch may comprise no alcohol. Alcohol means free of C4 alcohols and below, including but not limited to methanol, ethanol, propyl, or iso propyl alcohol.

In any embodiment a starch may be washed in water or aqueous solution prior to a starch slurry or after thermally inhibiting for one or more cycles.

The present technology provides a method including adding a buffer and an acid to a starch to obtain a pH adjusted starch having an acidic pH, dehydrating the pH adjusted starch to obtain a dehydrated, pH adjusted starch, and thermally inhibiting the dehydrated pH adjusted starch. During the pH adjustment step the buffer and acid may be added in either order.

The present technology provides a method including adjusting a starch in slurry to have a natural pH, adding buffer to the starch slurry, adjusting the pH of the slurry to an acidic pH, dehydrating the starch and thermally inhibiting the starch.

In some embodiments the technology provides a method including mixing starch, buffer, acid and aqueous solution to obtain a starch slurry and to obtain pH adjusted starch, recovering the pH adjusted starch from the starch slurry, dehydrating the pH adjusted starch to obtain a pH adjusted, dehydrated starch, and thermally inhibiting the pH adjusted, dehydrated starch. In any embodiment the buffer, acid, and aqueous solution may be mixed with the starch in any order. In any embodiment the aqueous solution may be water, or may be a buffered solution, or may be an acidic solution. In any embodiment a starch is adjusted at temperature below the starch's gelatinization temperature. In any embodiment a starch is thermally inhibited at temperature above the starch's gelatinization temperature.

The present technology further provides a starch made by the foregoing method. The present technology further provides starch made by the foregoing method and having a Hunter L value of than about <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or greater than <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>, or about <NUM>. The technology further provides starch made by the foregoing method having the forgoing hunter L values and having improved flavor compared to starches made from prior art processes.

In some embodiments, thermally inhibited starch having a low level of thermally inhibited is made at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes, or about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes or about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes.

In some embodiments thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition has is made at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition has is made at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition has is made at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes.

In some embodiments a highly thermally inhibited is made at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments a highly thermally inhibited is made at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments a highly thermally inhibited is made at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments a highly thermally inhibited is made at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes.

The above described methods for making a thermally inhibited starch physically modify the starch to act like a chemically modified starch. Using the methods described herein yields thermally inhibited starches that behave like chemically crosslinked starches without being chemically crosslinked. Using the methods described herein yields thermally inhibited starches that are not acid hydrolyzed.

The present technology provides methods for making thermally inhibited starches in a batch reaction process, a continuous reaction process or the like, or a combination thereof.

In some batch reaction processes a fixed amount of starch may be held in a reactor for enough time to thermally inhibited starch to obtain a desired peak hot viscosity after which the starch may be released from the reactor. Some illustrative batch reaction processes may use a fluidized bed reactor. Fluidized bed reactors may include a shell reactor and may have one or more chambers that allow a fluid to flow through a solid; in any embodiment the fluid is air. The fluid may disperse the solid (and in any embodiment a starch) to form a relatively homogenous fluid-solid system. The shell reactor may be jacketed to provide heat. An illustrative fluid bed reactor is described in <CIT>. Solids may be held in the reactor shell for an indefinite time and can be emptied from through an orifice in the reactor shell following completion of the reaction. Such reactions may utilize fixed amount that may be loaded into a reactor shell, may then be thermally inhibited, and then may be removed from the reactor shell before a next fixed amount of starch may be added to the reactor shell. In some embodiments a method for making thermally inhibited starch comprises heating a fixed amount of pH adjusted starch at one or more temperatures to dehydrate the starch and to thermally inhibited the starch, wherein such heating may be continuous or stepped. In some other embodiments a method for making a thermally inhibited starch includes heating a fixed amount of dehydrated, pH adjusted starch at one or more temperatures to thermally inhibited the starch.

Other reactors useful for thermally inhibiting starch include dextrinizers and the like, in which a starch is fluidized using mechanical means, such as rotational means, such as mixers having blades, paddles, rotors, screws, etc. that in operation cause the starch to move in a fluid like manner. Such reactors may be jacketed with heaters or steam heated to maintain the desired temperature for thermally inhibiting starch. In some embodiments thermally inhibiting using a mechanical fluidizing means is done under substantially vacuum conditions.

In some continuous reaction process a starch may added to and may pass through a reactor in time continuous manner such that starch is held in the reactor for a fixed time before it leaves, or is forced out of, or is otherwise removed from the reactor. In some embodiments the temperature used to obtain a thermally inhibit starch is adjusted to account for the residence time of the starch within the reactor. In some embodiments a starch is held in a reactor is modified to hold a starch for enough time to obtain a desired degree of inhibition. In some embodiments a process may include a fluidized bed that has been modified to allow for a substantially continuous process. In some embodiments a modified fluidized useful for making a thermally inhibited starch in a substantially continuous process is disclosed in <CIT>. In some embodiments an apparatus for use includes a reactor shell having one or more sections connected in series by an aperture permitting solid material to pass from one cell to the next in a time sequential fashion. The reactor shell may further include one or more cells at least one of which may be jacketed to allow for heating the starch sample. In some embodiments starch continuously passes from one cell to next and eventually exits the reactor shell after being held in residence within the reactor for a time to thermally inhibit a starch to have a desired hot peak viscosity. In some embodiments a method for making thermally inhibited starch includes passing a pH adjusted starch through a continuous reactor at one or more temperatures to dehydrate the starch and to thermally inhibited the starch wherein progress from one temperature to another may be continuous or stepwise. In some other embodiments a method for making a thermally inhibited starch includes passing an amount of a dehydrated, pH adjusted starch through a continuous reactor at one or more temperatures to thermally inhibited the starch.

In some other embodiments of a continuous reaction process use a reactor such as those available from Vomm Impianti e Processi Srl and described in <CIT>. In some embodiments such reactors may include a heated tubular reactor and may impel starch through a horizontal length of the reactor using a rotor blade. Other methods used in industry to dry or thermally modify solid materials may also be used.

In some embodiments starch is thermally inhibited to a low level of inhibition in a continuous process at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C at about <NUM> to about <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments starch is thermally inhibited to a low level of inhibition in a continuous process at a or about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to about <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments starch is thermally inhibited to a low level of inhibition in a continuous process at about <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to about <NUM> minutes, or from about <NUM> to about <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments, thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition is made in a continuous process in a continuous process at about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to about <NUM> minutes, or about <NUM> to about <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments, thermally inhibited starch having a moderate level of inhibition is made in a continuous process at a temperature of about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C for about <NUM> to about <NUM> minutes. In some embodiments a highly thermally inhibited is made in a continuous process at a temperature of about <NUM>° C and about <NUM>° C for between about <NUM> and about <NUM> minutes. In each of the foregoing embodiments, the starch has whiteness as measured by Hunter L value of at least about <NUM> or at least about <NUM> or from about <NUM> to about <NUM> or from about <NUM> to about <NUM>.

The present technology provides thermally inhibited starches having higher processes tolerance than prior art starches.

The present technology provides uses of thermally inhibited starch in industrial products, cosmetic products, household products, pharmaceutical product, and edible products, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch is used as an ingredient in a food composition.

In some embodiments thermally inhibited starches are used in a food composition in amount of between <NUM>% and <NUM>% by weight product. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch is an ingredient in an edible composition, which may be provided for nutritive, non-nutritive, pharmaceutical, or nutraceutical purposes. In some embodiments an edible product is in tablet form, and a thermally inhibited starch is used as an excipient or binding agent, or disintegrating agent.

In some embodiments an edible product comprises a thermally inhibited starch and a second edible ingredient. In any embodiment a second edible ingredient is any edible second ingredient. In some embodiments a second edible a dairy ingredient including milk (and other liquid milk products), non-fat milk solids, or dairy proteins such as whey or casein. In some embodiments a second edible ingredient is an aqueous ingredient having a pH between <NUM> and <NUM>, such ingredients include but are not limited milk, fruit and vegetable juices (from any source), vinegar, oils, and liquid extracts. In some embodiments a second edible ingredient is another starch or flour which may be in native, pregelatinized, or other modified form. In some embodiments a second ingredient is a gum or hydrocolloid. In some embodiments a second ingredient is useful as a stabilizers or emulsifier in food. In some embodiments a second ingredient is eggs or a saponin comprising extract or flour. In some embodiments a second ingredient is a fermenting agent or leavening agent such as yeast, or bacteria, or baking soda, or baking powder.

In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch is an ingredient in a food composition which may be one or more the following non-limiting example: beverages, baked goods (cakes, cookies, brownies, pie crusts, bread, gluten-free product), confectionary products, retorted products, frozen products, dairy products, sauces, gravies, emulsions. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch is used in amount of about <NUM> to about <NUM>% by weight of the food composition of about <NUM> to about <NUM>% by weight, like for example about <NUM> to about <NUM>%. In some embodiments, a baked good includes about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% by weight of a thermally inhibited starch, or about <NUM> to about <NUM>%. In some embodiments in a baked good a thermally inhibited starch makes up about <NUM>% to <NUM>% of all starch in the baked good, or about <NUM> to <NUM>%, or about <NUM> to <NUM>%. In some embodiments a food composition includes a liquid component for example a aqueous component or an oil component such composition including for example beverages, retorted products, sauces, gravies, yogurts and other dairy compositions, or emulsified compositions like mayonnaises, in such compositions a thermally inhibited starch is used in amounts of about <NUM> to <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>% or about <NUM>% to about <NUM>.

In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch is used to provide stable thickness to an emulsion or emulsion like food product including but not limited to food products processed and/or stored under harsh conditions, such as retorting, homogenization, fermenting, and freezing. In various embodiments a dry thermally inhibited starch is used to provide free-thaw stability, or to resist syneresis, or retrogradation of frozen edible products.

In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch is used in an edible product to replace a chemically crosslinked, or otherwise inhibited starch. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch is to replace a non-inhibited starch. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch is used to reduce the amount of starch used in an edible composition.

Throughout this specification various ranges are listed which are intended to include all subranges within the disclosed ranges, and any pairing of the specifically named ranges.

Non-limiting embodiments of food compositions comprising a thermally inhibited starch follow:.

All the dry ingredients are blended together and added to the milk. The mixture is blended using a Breddo Likwifier blender for <NUM>-<NUM> minutes at about <NUM> rpm, transferred to a holding tank, and then processed through MicroThermics® HVHW HTST processing equipment wherein, for upstream processing, the mixture is homogenized at <NUM> (<NUM>°F) and <NUM> or <NUM> psi, and then pasteurized at <NUM> (<NUM>°F) for <NUM> minutes. For downstream processing, the mixture was preheated to <NUM> (<NUM>°F), and then heated at <NUM>-<NUM> (<NUM>-<NUM>°F) and <NUM> or <NUM> psi for <NUM> minutes. The pasteurized yogurt mix was cooled to about <NUM> (<NUM>°F). In samples that are fermented, the pH was reduced to <NUM> and the yogurt cooled to about <NUM>-<NUM> (<NUM>-<NUM>°F). In other embodiments, homogenization is run at <NUM>° C. In embodiments the homogenization process includes a pre heat, and in embodiments temperature and pressure are ramped from ambient to those desired from pasteurization.

All the dry ingredients are blended together and added to the water. The mixture is blended under vacuum (<NUM>-<NUM> mbar) using a Fryma Korum DISHO <NUM> inline homogenizer. The water phase is then heated to <NUM>° C to cook the starch, and then cooled to <NUM>° C or below. The egg yolk is added and blended with the water phase. The oil is then added to the pre-emulsion under high shear and vacuum (<NUM>-<NUM> mbar) and homogenized until emulsified. The vinegar is then added and emulsified, and the temperature kept at about <NUM>° C.

All the dry ingredients are blended together and added to the water and vinegar under agitation for complete dispersion. The mixture is heated to <NUM> to <NUM> for about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes to a good degree of starch cook. The resultant paste is then cooled to <NUM>. The following ingredients are then added together -.

The egg yolks are added to the paste and mixed well. The oil is then slowly added with agitation to form a pre-emulsion. This pre-emulsion is then passed through a colloid mill to form the final spoonable dressing emulsion.

All dry ingredients are blended together. The water and cream are added to a beaker and the lecithin dispersed using an immersion blender. The dry ingredients are then added under agitation. The mixture was heated to <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C (<NUM>° F to <NUM>° F) and held until a good starch cook is reached (about <NUM> to <NUM> minutes). Once cooled, each mixture was then used to fill <NUM>-ounce jars. Powdered mixes can be made by substituting dry ingredients such as powdered milk solids for cream.

Pudding are made by whisking the starch, sugar, and vanilla into milk and mixing until the ingredients are dispersed. The mixture is then cooked in a Thermomix® with set temperature to <NUM>° C. During cooking the mixture is stirred at speed <NUM> for <NUM> minutes or until starch is fully cooked out. The cooked pudding is then filled into jars and allowed to cool.

In industrial scale processes, all the dry ingredients are blended together and added to the milk. The mixture is blended using a Breddo Likwifier blender for <NUM>-<NUM> minutes at about <NUM> rpm, transferred to a holding tank, and then processed through MicroThermics® HVHW HTST processing equipment wherein, for upstream processing, the mixture is homogenized at <NUM> - <NUM>° C (<NUM>-<NUM>° F) and <NUM> - <NUM> psi, and then pasteurized at <NUM>° C (<NUM>° F) for <NUM> seconds. The cooked pudding is then filled into jars and allowed to cool.

The following are further illustrative embodiments of the thermally inhibited starch as well as characterization of that starch.

Swelling volume and soluble content of a starch are measured as follows:.

The effect of pH on thermally inhibition time was evaluated as follows. With reference to <FIG> applicants measured the MVU viscosity of thermally inhibited waxy corn starch made using a citrate buffer and pH adjusted to about <NUM>. Starch was dehydrated to about <NUM>% moisture (w/w) and was heated at <NUM>° F (about <NUM>° C) for the times shown. The MVU profile was obtained for starch slurry having <NUM>% solids (w/w) and pH <NUM>, using the following heating profile: heat from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C degrees over six minutes and then was held at <NUM>° C for another <NUM> minutes. With reference two <FIG> the viscosity of each sample at <NUM>° plus <NUM> minutes was plotted, illustrating the amount of inhibition varies with heating time. The foregoing test was repeated using starch made as described above but heated at <NUM>° F or <NUM>° F (about <NUM>° C to about <NUM>° C). The same plots as described above were obtained to illustrate how inhibition varies with heating time and temperature. To illustrate the effect buffer system and pH adjustment, the waxy corn starch was inhibited at the times and temperatures described above, but starch that was carbonate buffered and adjusted to pH of about <NUM> or was citrate buffered and adjusted to pH of about <NUM>. The full set of <NUM>° C + <NUM> minutes viscosity is plotted in <FIG>.

<FIG> plots the Hunter L value of the above starches. To determine the color of powder, Hunter Color QUEST II spectrocolorimeter sphere model was used with Universal V. <NUM> software and a NIR compression cell with quartz window. The equipment is standardized using a light trap, white and grey standardization tiles and a green calibration tile. First the light trap is inserted into the sample hold, then removed and followed by the white and grey tiles. Using the XYZ units, the white and green tiles are used to calibrate the equipment. Once the equipment is calibrated, the units are changed to hunter units. Using the quartz cell, approximately <NUM> grams of starch is added into the cell until the window is covered and the cell is packed. Place the cover on the cell and place the cell in the sample holder of the spectrocolorimeter. Using the software, select read sample to acquire data. The data collected will be in the form of L, a, b, and YI D1925(<NUM>/C).

The viscosity change of a <NUM>% solids starch slurry, was measured over the following time course: of starches made using a citrate buffer and adjusted to pH <NUM> heated as follows of starch slurry from room temperature to <NUM>° C, further heating of slurry from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C at a heating rate of <NUM>/min, and holding slurry at <NUM>° C for <NUM> minutes. The starches were heated to obtain a desired viscosity profile consistent with commercially available lowly, moderately and highly inhibited starch. <FIG> illustrates the viscosity profile of a lowly inhibited starch in pH <NUM> slurry. <FIG> illustrates the viscosity profile of a moderately inhibited starch in pH <NUM> slurry. <FIG> illustrates the viscosity profile of a highly inhibited starch in pH <NUM> slurry.

The effect of time, temperature and pH on thermally inhibition was evaluated. In all samples a waxy corn starch was thermally. Samples were made using citrate buffer and adjustment to pH of about <NUM>, using citrate buffer and adjustment to pH of about <NUM>, and carbonate buffer and adjustment to pH about <NUM>. Thermally inhibited using the above described buffer systems were dehydrated to about <NUM>% moisture (w/w). Starch samples from each buffer system were then thermally inhibited one of <NUM>° F, <NUM>° F, or <NUM>° F (about <NUM>° C, <NUM>° C, or <NUM>° C. Samples made at each thermally inhibition temperature were heated for one of <NUM> (uninhibited), <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> minutes. All samples were tested whiteness recorded as a Hunter L value. Changes in Hunter L as inhibition time increases for a given buffer system and inhibition temperature are reported in <FIG>.

Sensory testing compared flavor of starch pastes (starch in water heating until gelatinization). Panelists evaluated pastes made from embodiments of the disclosed dry thermally inhibited starches made from waxy corn starch, commercially available thermally inhibited starches waxy corn starch from an alcohol-based process, commercially available dry thermally inhibited waxy corn starch, and unmodified waxy corn starch. All thermally inhibited samples were measured to have a peak hot viscosity of about <NUM> MVU.

Sensory testing was done using a trained panel of <NUM> people. Panelists were selected based on their ability to detect differences in aroma, flavor, taste and texture and their ability to express these differences. Individual panelists were trained for <NUM> months prior to panel integration, and all panelist participated in continuous maintenance training. Training comprises introducing panelists to company defined sensory terminology (TEXICON® and SWEETABULARY®) and <NUM>-point universal scale ratings benchmarks with <NUM> meaning a flavor attribute was not detected, and <NUM> meaning that a flavor attribute was extreme.

Testing proceeded as follows: Panelists were presented three replicates of each sample in monadic and balanced order. During evaluation panelists were instructed to take a spoonful of the sample by mouth manipulate the sample to the point of swallowing, expectorate the sample swallow the saliva, and Evaluate the perceived intensity of the following flavors. Panelists evaluated samples as for the following attributes: i) Overall Flavor Intensity - meaning the impact of the total flavor of the sample; ii) Overall Source Flavor Intensity - meaning the perceived intensity of the flavor contributed by the raw material; iii) White Paper Flavor Intensity - meaning the perceived intensity of the flavor contributed by white paper; iv) Cardboard Flavor Intensity - meaning the perceived intensity of the flavor contributed by brown paper/cardboard; v) Overall Chemical Flavor Intensity (solvent, plastic/vinyl, chlorine, etc.) - meaning the perceived intensity of the flavor contributed by any chemical substance. Panelists were also asked to describe the chemical flavor tasted.

Ratings were collected through Compusense® Cloud data acquisition software and data were analyzed for statistical significance and statistical relevance use XLSTAT (<NUM>) data analysis software.

Samples were prepared by Ingredion's Global Applications Team. Samples were stored and served at <NUM>° F in <NUM>-ounce plastic cups with lids.

Results were reported in a Principal Component Analysis ("PCA") mapped in a Sensory Space. PCA investigates and plots a multi-dimensional dataset comprising quantitative variables. The Sensory Space allows, for study and visualization of the correlations between variables. It allows for obtaining non-correlated factors which are linear combinations of the initial variables to use these factors in modeling methods such as linear regression, logistic regression or discriminant analysis, and for visualizing observations in a multidimensional space to identify uniform or atypical groups of observations.

The plotted Sensory Space maps the relative intensity of a flavor observed for a sample. Flavor characteristics are placed along the perimeter of the plot. The closer a sample is to the characteristic the more intensely that flavor characteristic was observed for that sample. As seen prior art dry thermally inhibited waxy corn starch had the most intense cardboard and grain flavor.

Use of "about" to modify a number is meant to include the number recited plus or minus <NUM>%. Where legally permissible recitation of a value in a claim means about the value. Use of about in a claim or in the specification is not intended to limit the full scope of covered equivalents.

Use of "about neutral pH" is meant to include a pH range of about <NUM> to about <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A thermally inhibited starch, said thermally inhibited starch having;
(a) a hot peak viscosity of <NUM> to <NUM> Micro-Visco-AmyloGraph Units (MVU) and a Hunter L value of at least <NUM>, or from <NUM> to <NUM>; or
(b) a hot peak viscosity of <NUM> to <NUM> Micro-Visco-AmyloGraph Units (MVU) and having a Hunter L value of <NUM> to <NUM>; or
(c) a hot peak viscosity of <NUM> to <NUM> Micro-Visco-AmyloGraph Units (MVU) and having a Hunter L value of <NUM> to <NUM>,
wherein the hot peak viscosity refers to the highest viscosity obtained between <NUM>° C and <NUM>° C + <NUM> minutes (between <NUM>° C and <NUM>° C +<NUM>) in a Micro-Visco-AmyloGraph (MVAG) plot which records the viscosity changes of a <NUM>% starch solids slurry having pH <NUM> (slurry at <NUM>% solids and pH <NUM>) during the following time and temperature course: heating of starch slurry from room temperature to <NUM>° C, further heating of slurry from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C at a heating rate of <NUM>/min and holding slurry at <NUM>° C for <NUM> minutes .