Cornstarch


 * **Is the ingredient naturally available, or artificial?**
 * It is a natural ingredient and is the starch of a corn grain
 * **What are some uses for this ingredient?**
 * It is commonly used as an anti-caking agent in powdered sugar
 * It is also often used as a thickener in recipes
 * **What processes are involved in the harvesting, mining, or other methods of acquiring this ingredient?**
 * Cornstarch is made from the endosperm of corn. When heated it forms a paste. After cooling the starch creates a semi solid gel. When spread and dried it has a strong adhesive film. When dried it becomes a fine or course powder.
 * **What is the Chemical Composition of this substance?**
 * Cornstarch is a polymer so it doesn't have an exact formula but the formula is about media type="custom" key="236523"
 * it is listed in the Chemical Dictionary as25% amylase and 75% amylopectin
 * **Are there any reported quality control standards for this ingredient?**
 * There are currently none
 * **What chemistry is involved in the preparation or synthesis of the ingredient?**
 * It is ground from the white center of a corn kernel
 * **What other common foods use this ingredient?**
 * Making bakery items, corn syrup, drugs, laundry starch, paper goods, textiles, sauces, pie fillings, puddings, and salad dressings.
 * **Who are the major producers of the ingredient? Where are they located?**
 * Sandong Duqing Inc.- China
 * Argo-Nebraska
 * Kingsford-Philadelphia
 * United Starch Company- NA
 * **Are there any interesting facts related to the ingredient or food you learned while searching for information?**
 * Wet Milling is another process where cornstarch is made.Shelled corn is soaked in alkaline water for 24 to 48 hours. The the kernels are grind where the germ is removed. The germ is then used in corn oil and corn meal. The remaining material is finely ground and passed through screens. The material that goes through the screen is a protein called gluten, it it used in corn gluten meal. Al the starch remaining is pure cornstarch.
 * In Ancient Egypt they used starches in cosmetics
 * In 1842, Thomas Kingsford was the first to isolate starch from kernels of corn using technology he learned from a wheat starch plant. With this process, made a laundry starch from the corn.
 * In 2004, a Blu-Ray disc made out of cornstarch was created by the Japanese company Pioneer
 * Cornstarch has been used as a replacement for talc in baby powder

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=14322 http://sg.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070129085614AAUKhdK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornstarch http://cdavies.wordpress.com/2007/03/02/physicochemical-properties-of-starch/ http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar134860&st=cornstarch http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/article?id=ar134160&sc=-1#h29 http://buy.ecplaza.net/search/1s1nf20sell/malt_extract.html http://www.argostarch.com/aboutus.asp
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