Effect of selected sago starch modifications on its properties and quality of instant ‘keropok lekor’

‘Keropok lekor’ is a perishable food which has short shelf life at room temperature. Therefore, this research was conducted to produce instant powder of ‘keropok lekor’ that are shelf stable at room temperature by incorporating modified sago starch in the formulation. Thus, this study was carried out to evaluate the sago starch properties after being modified chemically and the effect of its incorporation on the final properties of ‘keropok lekor’. Sago starch was modified using cross-linking and succinylation methods before incorporated into the ingredients. Sago starches used were in its unmodified (native), crosslinked, succinylated and a mix of cross-linked and succinylated form. Results showed that sago starch retained its morphological features after modifications. Cross-linking increased the swelling power of sago starch. Both cross-linking and succinylation decreased oil absorption capacity and retarded starch retrogradation. Thermal scanning temperatures of cross-linked sago starch were elevated to higher degree of onset (To) and peak temperatures (Tp). Cross-linking and succinylation of sago starch brought some changes in the physicochemical properties of the fried samples. The most significant result was the improvement of expansion property where the sample with cross-linked starch showed the highest (15.0%) with low hardness values. In conclusion, the application of modified sago starch had shown its potential in the development of acceptable instant ‘keropok lekor’