Starch Modification Using Sustainable Processing Technology: Impacts and Applications

Abstract Starch is an important and abundant macromolecule which has a wide application in food, textile, pharmaceuticals, etc. Due to this, a novel characteristic of the starch is necessary compared to native starch which has limited application due to high shear stress, digestibility, strong hydrophobicity, low thermal stability, mechanical strength, as well as high retrogradation and syneresis. These limitations can be overcome through starch modification. However, most starch modifications are not environmentally and energy‐sustainable while some chemical methods have led to the release of hazardous substances into the environment. To surmount these challenges, there is a need for sustainable methods of starch modification to bring about desirable properties. Therefore, this article reviews critically some sustainable technologies such as pulsed electric field, cold plasma treatment, ultrasonication, microwave, gamma radiation, and dynamic pressure used in starch modification. Their effects on the physicochemical and functional properties of starch such as crystallinity, granular, and molecular structures are reviewed. Applications of the starch as affected by various sustainable techniques in various food and non‐food systems are also reviewed. In general, the sustainable techniques of starch modification improve the functionalities of the starch and help in meeting the ever‐increasing market for reliable food and industrial ingredients.