Unraveling the Complexities of Starch Retrogradation: Insights from Kinetics, Molecular Interactions, and Influences of Food Ingredients

Starch retrogradation is important in controlling many properties of starch-rich foods, while many crucial issues remain to be answered in this field. This review for the first time summarized recent understandings on starch retrogradation property, especially from the kinetics and molecular perspectives. Consecutive reaction kinetics (CR) model was recently proposed to help understand nucleation and crystal growth steps, which are critical in determining the overall retrogradation rate. By applying CR model, relations between starch fine molecular structures and retrogradation property have been revealed. Food ingredients, e.g. sugars, salts, proteins, lipids, polyphenols, and various non-starch polysaccharides, all influence starch retrogradation via different mechanisms. These new insights were comprehensively discussed in this review, aiming to help the development of functional foods with both preferable texture and nutrition property, through a better manipulation of starch retrogradation property during food processing.