abstract
The viscoelastic and textural properties of freshly prepared and freeze-thawed sago starchesugar gels
were studied in comparison with other native starches from corn, wheat, tapioca, and potato. The
gelatinisation and retrogradation properties of starches were studied using a DSC while the pasting
properties of starchesugar mixtures during the cooking period were studied using a starch pasting cell.
The freeze-thaw stability of gels was evaluated by gravimetric measurements of the water of syneresis.
The different starches gave properties which varied following to their botanical sources. High-amylose
cereal starches (wheat and corn) produced harder gels, while low-amylose root starch (tapioca)
produced softer gels. Sago and potato gels showed close similarities in their viscoelastic and textural
characteristics. Although the freeze-thaw cycle greatly increased the viscoelasticity and hardness of these
two gels, reheating at high temperature significantly reduced these negative effects and resulted in
partial recovery of the gel structures. Sago starch produced gels with very low syneresis and high
cohesiveness, implying its potential use as a gelling agent in the frozen food industries.