The preparation and food applications of divalent cation–substituted potato starch

Potato starch is characterized by discernibly high content of starch-bound phosphate monoester groups, and metal cations are attached to the phosphate groups by ion forces. A high level of divalent cations appears to lead to good viscosity stability of potato starch by ionically cross-linking starch phosphate esters. However, potato starches manufactured in factories in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, do not show good viscosity stability due to high potassium content and low divalent cation content. To overcome this, potato starches substituted with divalent cations, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron, have been produced by treating potato starches with solutions containing divalent cations. This review paper provides an overview of the preparation methods and physicochemical properties of divalent cation–substituted potato starch. Moreover, food applications of divalent cation–substituted potato starch are also discussed.