One of the most important cereal starches in the world is maize starch. And, in a lot of countries, it is considered one of the staple foods. A white, tasteless, odorless carbohydrate extracted from the kernels of corn or maize, maize starch power is widely used as a stiffening agent and a thickener with many industrial applications.
Industry Wise Applications of Maize Starch
Maize starch powder has a wealth of uses across a variety of industries. From pharmaceutical and paper, to adhesives and food, this versatile starch is an important part of many industries’ manufacturing processes.
1. Food And Beverage Industry
Most commonly known as corn starch, maize starch is used in Bakery industry, as well as thickening sauces, puddings, and gravies. One of the best industrial uses of maize starch powder is bakers using it to improve the texture and tenderness of cakes. It does this by making the dough harder in nature and thereby making this starch the most suitable for use in the preparation of cakes.
Then there is ice cream. Maize starch powder is known for giving high strengths to ice cream and ice cream cones too! As well as salad dressing, desserts and other such sweet food items of which it forms a basic constituent of sweet food.
Other examples include as a coating for fried foods to give them extra crispiness. The starch is also used for noodles and an emulsifier for milk-products, as well as a filling for food items.
Another reason maize starch powder is used on a large scale in the beverage industry is because it can be dispersed with ease in the hydrophilic Medias. The starch has a sufficient amount of carbohydrate and is known to be amongst the energy producing foods.
2. Paper Industry
The powder is used mostly in the paper industry to enhance the bonding strength of paper as well as corrugated boxes. This is because of maize starch powder’s excellent adhesive properties.
3. Textile Industry
One of the best (and most common) uses of the maize starch is to soften fabric as well as providing cloth with the required stiffness. Other uses include material sizing: this allows the strength of the warp yarn to be easily increased. The starch powder can also enhance the weight, finishing and dusting media for various types of coating.
4. Pharmaceutical Industry
In the pharmaceutical industry, the Maize Starch is used as filler, diluents, humectant, binder and disintegrant. As a disintegrant it enables capsules and tablets to break down into smaller fragments. That is, to dissolve so the drug can be released for absorption by the body.
It is also used as a dusting media for different types of coating. In areas of dry granulation techniques, it is widely accepted where active ingredients are hygroscopic, and is difficult to dry after wet binding. The maize starch powder has proven to be particularly efficient as a dry-binder. Another less known use for maize starch is its use in cosmetics. The smoothness of dry maize starch powder makes it excellent filler.
5. Drilling starch
Another common use of Maize starch is to manufacture pre gelatinized starch. Pre gelatinized starch is a processed carbohydrate used as a texturizer and or binder. Drilling fluid carries the rock excavated by the drill bit up to the surface. Its ability to do so depends on cutting size shape and density and speed of fluid traveling up the well (annular velocity). Pre gelatinized Starch helps improve hole cleaning capacities of drilling fluids, it is effective as a filtering agent. Pre gelatinized starch is used for water holding properties in oil well drilling to prevent water loss, can be used in the full range of water types, stabilizes rheology provides well bore stability and filtration control etc.
6. Bioplastics
Bioplastics are currently used in disposable items like packaging, cups, straws, bags etc. Bioplastics namely PLA (polyactic acid) is typically made from the sugars in corn starch and is biodegradable, carbon-neutral and edible.
Industrial Applications of Maize Starch
The production of maize starch in India is fragmented as there is a large variety of manufacturers and producers with variable production capacities. The key derivatives are syrups, modified starches, and sweeteners, amongst others.
As we’ve already mentioned, in India the main demand for maize starch powder is from the paper, textile and food industries as well as the pharmaceutical industry. The food and beverage industry is the one which is seeing the largest growth next to Pharma.
Back in 2016, there was an assessment of reports and research works spanning 30 years that estimated India’s starch sector will continue to undergo a structural change. This change will result in the rise in production and export of starch.
India’s starch process industry is one of the top 5 processing industries in the country. And, it is one of the few industries with a development period of more than 15 years behind it. The growth of maize starch processing industry is easily gauged when you look at the fact 40% of the manufacturing companies involving in starch processing are new to the field.
As far as the rest of the world is concerned, India is still an emerging manufacturing market and unit. And there are some big players who are helping the industry slowly and steadily rise up to international standards.
Supplying Maize/Corn Starch
GUJARAT AMBUJA EXPORTS LIMITED, offer maize/corn starch that is food, Pharma, and industrial grade. The best industrial uses for maize starch powder are in those industries which are able to get the most benefit out of the versatility and readily-available material that is this product.
If you would like to know more about maize starch powder, or are interested in purchasing maize/corn starch, contact us today using the form on our website. A member of our sales team will be in touch as soon as they can.
