Oxidised Starch
What it does
Thickener/stabiliser.
How it's made
Chemically modified starch.
Oxidised starch is a modified starch used as a thickener and to improve the texture and clarity of foods such as batters, coatings and some confectionery. Oxidising the starch makes it produce softer, clearer, less gummy pastes than untreated starch.
It is made by treating food starch (from corn, potato, wheat or tapioca) with an oxidising agent, most commonly sodium hypochlorite (essentially a controlled bleaching), under carefully managed conditions. This introduces small chemical changes along the starch chains and slightly shortens them, which alters how the starch swells and sets.
The treated starch is washed thoroughly to remove reaction by-products, neutralised and dried into a white powder. The oxidation gives a starch that forms low-viscosity, clear, stable pastes with good film-forming properties, useful for batters and coatings; the degree of treatment is limited by regulation, and it remains a plant-based ingredient.
Possible reactions
Generally safe.