Starch and its derivatives are frequently used as additives in the food industry, for example in the production of confectionery and baked goods in order to improve consistency and shelf life, or in dairy products as a thickener. But starch is also often used in the beverages industry in the form of starch-based sweeteners such as glucose syrup, dextrose or isoglucose. In addition, thanks to its properties as a modifiable polymer and because it is made up of fermentable sugar units, starch is also used in a wide variety of applications as a renewable raw material in the chemicals industry.
Given the broad range of possible uses of starch, there are therefore many different sample matrices that need to be analysed for this particular additive. And the many applications explain, in turn, the high demand for starch-based products and the simultaneous requirement for rapid and reliable analysis.
In our case study, we present our DUMATHERM analysis device for quick and cost-effective nitrogen and protein analysis of starch, which provides an interesting alternative to the Kjeldahl method that is worth considering, particularly thanks to its innovative detection principle and rapid and complete combustion.
