Mixture of native starches as a natural and affordable alternative to improve the quality and stability of dairy custards

Abstract

Present study aimed to evaluate the potential of mixtures of native corn (CS), potato (PS), and cassava (CAS) starches as innovative texture modifiers and stabilizers for custards. Native starches exhibited marked difference in composition and functional properties. The influence of individual starches and their interactions on key quality attributes of custards was examined using response surface methodology. Significant effects of the starch mixture composition were observed on firmness (3.9 – 46.4 g), cohesiveness (0.46 – 0.66), elasticity (22 – 24 mm), and color saturation (84.5 – 89.1) of the custard. In terms of stability, the presence of CAS significantly reduced syneresis, minimizing serum loss by up to 96%. The mixture of the studied native starches exhibited intermediate pasting properties, compared to those observed for the individual starches, highlighting their capability for modelling texture attributes. Pasting properties were affected both by the individual contributions of each starch and by the presence of dairy and non-dairy components. The optimized starch blend gelatinized at 75 °C and exhibited a peak viscosity of 516 cP, demonstrating an excellent cooking stability and a significant increase in viscosity upon cooling (1017 cP). Mechanical spectrum of the formulated custard was similar to those commerciallyavailable. In addition, common cold-storage defects, such as retrogradation, after 30 days of storage at 4 °C was prevented, indicating the capability of native starch mixtures to model rheological attributes improving the cold-storage stability. The combination of native starches from corn, potato, and cassava provides a feasible, cost-effective alternative to traditional texture modifiers and stabilizers, meeting consumer demands for cleaner labels and more natural ingredients in food products.