VALIDATION OF A MODIFIED STARCH-IODINE TEST FOR RAPID DETERMINATION OF STARCH CONTENT IN EMULSION LUNCHEON SAUSAGE

Abstract

Starch is commonly used at a rate of not more than 5% in the formulation of luncheon sausage, which is needed for emulsion stabilization. However, many manufacturers increased their rate of addition as a cost-cutting measure, which is considered a means of adulteration. As a result, this study aimed to develop a reliable, fast, and accurate test for determining starch content in luncheon sausage, as well as to compare the results of this test with those of chemical analysis in order to determine its validity. To accomplish this goal, 2 mm thin slices of emulsion sausages containing 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% starch were sprayed with a standard iodine solution. The time required for the blue color to fully disappear was calculated, the color intensity was photographed, and a color plate was developed. One thousand emulsion-type luncheon sausage samples belonging to different processing plants were examined for their starch content using both the developed color sheet and the chemical method. The produced sheet's results for > 25% and <5% starch were identical to those of the chemical analysis. However, findings for samples containing 5 to 25% starch showed a slightly lower accuracy (91-96%), but thankfully, the fading time provides a valuable method for determining the starch content. Therefore, the iodine test and the developed calibrated color sheet appeared to be an accurate, rapid, and reliable test for the quantification of starch in luncheon sausage.