Potato Starch Paste Behavior as Related to Some Physical/Chemical Properties

Potato starch with anomalous stable (constant with time) paste viscosity has been proposed as a natural replacement for cross-linked starch, but its behavior and the influencing factors are not well understood. Starch from 44 samples of potato tubers representing 34 genotypes was analyzed for phosphorus, mean granule diameter, amylose, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. Except for granule diameter, sodium, and potassium, each of those properties correlated significantly with one or more of five paste characteristics determined using the Brabender Visco-amylograph. Three samples had a stable viscosity in 1 yr of the study, but their behavior was not associated with unusual values of the other measured properties. The stable viscosity is probably a heritable trait influenced by cultural and climatic factors.