Can Steam infusion processing damage starch?
The processing conditions within the Steam Infusion Vaction™ Unit can damage starch. Based on research from a £1million Innovate UK project and our commercial systems in operation, two approaches can be taken:
Protect the starch with the structure of the recipe.
Reduce fat with “over processed” starch “fat mimetic”.
Protect starch with the structure of the recipe
By changing the time of the starch addition and operating mode of the Steam Infusion Vaction™ Pump, starch can be can be processed undamaged. As would be expected, this will be recipe be dependent and we work closely with starch manufacturers, like Ingredion, to ensure we can advise you on the best starch to use for your application.
Some starches are not suitable for the Steam Infusion process. For instance, potato starch is too delicate, however, it can be added as a final addition if required at the end of the process.
Reduce fat with ‘over-processed’ starch
Under certain operating conditions, starch processed with Steam Infusion can act as a fat mimetic resulting in a creamier mouthfeel. This means that you could potentially reduce the butter or cream content from a recipe without affecting the taste or texture.