Some Effects of the Minor Components of Wheat Starch on Glucose Syrup Production

The recent increase in demand for vital wheat gluten has led to an expansion of the starch/gluten separation industry, resulting in increased availability of wheat starch. The vast majority of the starch used in the U. K. is derived from N. American maize. The majority of this starch is used for glucose syrup production. In studying possibilities for extending the potential use of starch from the European wheat crop for syrup production, we have investigated the factors which influence the commercially‐important properties of glucose syrups derived from wheat and maize. In this paper we illustrate the importance of the minor components found in wheat starch preparations, and give details of the techniques used for their selective removal in the laboratory: some of these techniques have potential for industrial application. Procedures for syrup production from these selectively extracted starches are described, together with an assessment of the effects of the minor components on both process and product characteristics. Although both wheat and maize starches contain similar levels of minor components, the effects and fate of these during syrup production differed. However, it was found that with suitable pretreatments to wheat starch, syrups of similar process and product characteristics may be obtained from wheat and maize starches.