INFLUENCE OF FLAVORING ON THE VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF STARCH GELS DURING GELATION AND LONG-TIME RETROGRADATION

The effect of three different aroma compounds on the texture of starch dispersions during gelation and retrogradation was studied. Oscillatory measurements were used to follow gelation and to check the structure of the starch dispersions after retrogradation up to 28 days. Rheological tests did not indicate any effect of the presence of any of the aroma compounds on the mechanism of gelation. During long‐time retrogradation, some added aroma compound did. We assume that this is a consequence of the ability of aroma compounds to form a complex or to show another type of interaction with starch molecules like entrapment in the amorphous regions of starch. Linalool is known to form complexes with amylase, but did not induce texture modifications, probably because, in our experiments, the added amount of this compound was too low. Isoamyl acetate, which according to literature interacts with amylopectin, exhibited a weak effect after 3 or 4 weeks, depending on the amount added. Octanal also increased gel stiffness after 3 weeks. This phenomenon is consistent with the observation that this aroma compound can form complexes with starch as demonstrated by X‐ray diffraction in this study.