Corn starch has been used for years as a tabulating binder. The granules partially fuse together under the influence of the high compression forces of the tabulating machine to provide a strong tablet that is resistant to breakage in transport but with well-defined disintegration properties after ingestion.

Synonyms: manioc- and cassava starch. Tapioca starch is obtained commercially by wet milling the tuberous roots of these species. It is produced mainly in South-East Asia and is often chemically modified e.g. crosslinked and hydroxypropylated for food applications.

The texture of a starch paste is a function of the starch type and the presence of any physical or chemical modification. The range of texture may extend from short and cohesive which is characteristic of a crosslinked starch, or long, tacky and fluid which is typical for native potato starch pastes.

A modified starch which gives a lower viscosity paste than unmodified starch at the same concentration in water. Also known as acid-thinned starch.

the reduction in molecular weight and, therefore, the viscosity of a starch using acid and/or enzymes. This process is used to produce thinned starches, maltodextrins, and corn syrups.