Specialty starches for snack foods

Specialty starches in snack foods serve as functional ingredients, contributing to desirable attributes such as increased expansion, improved crispness, reduced oil pick up and better overall eating quality. Starch-based coatings and adhesives can replace fat or oil in low-fat baked snacks. Dry hot melt starch-based adhesives are cost-effective tacking agents, while resistant starch provides high fiber nutritional claims for snack foods. The type of starches chosen will depend on their cost, availability, functionality and the quantity used. The present review highlights the functionality of specialty starches in a variety of snack foods. Types of specialty starches, their biochemical aspects, legal aspects and commercial availability are also discussed.