Comparative study on the application of chemically modified corn and pearl millet starches in white sauce

The present study investigated hydroxypropylation and succinylation as possible starch modifications for utilization in white sauce. Propylene oxide (20 g/100 g of starch, db) and succinic anhydride (2 g/100 g of starch, db) were added to native pearl millet (PS) and native corn (CS) starches, separately. Interestingly, no syneresis was observed in white sauces containing hydroxypropylated corn (HCWS) and hydroxypropylated pearl millet (HPWS) starches after 14 days of storage. However, sauces containing native and succinylated pearl millet starches (PWS and SPWS) showed a significant reduction in syneresis when compared to native and succinylated corn starch containing sauces (CWS and SCWS). The SCWS showed the highest peak viscosity, whereas, HPWS exhibited the lowest set back viscosity. Sensory evaluation revealed that HPWS received the highest score with respect to consistency, graininess, taste, and overall acceptability. Thermal analysis demonstrated the absence of retrogradation peak in hydroxypropylated corn (HCS) and hydroxypropylated pearl millet starches. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Starch is used in different types of sauces including white sauce mainly due to its thickening property. Commercially, corn starch is the most extensively used starch type for the formulation of food products. However, due to an increased demand for native/modified starches in food applications, it has become inevitable to explore new sources for starch production. Pearl millet possesses a great potential for commercial use due to its exceptional agronomic features like Cost‐effectiveness, easy accessibility, and high tolerance toward drought, salt, and adverse climatic conditions in comparison to other conventional starch sources. Therefore, modified pearl millet starch could be effectively utilized as a substitute for corn starch in white sauce formulation.