The gelatinization of starch is a process that permits the release of starch macromolecules from
granules. It can be carried out by exposing starch granules to heat and shear in the presence of
moisture. In the gelatinization of starch during extrusion, it is important to have strict control
of the energy applied and the moisture content. The gelatinization process is depicted in
Figure 1. The application of excessive heat and shear, such as that observed during extrusion
processing of starch at low moisture content, leads to its thermo-mechanical degradation
(Gomez & Aguilera, 1983, 1984, Lai & Kokini, 1991). Products of starch degradation are mainly
dextrin, and in more extreme cases oligomer and sugar (Gomez & Aguilera, 1983, 1984). Once
starch granules are disrupted, the resulting gelatinized starch (GS) can be mixed with a