Characteristics of cassava starch fermentation wastewater based on structural degradation of starch granules

ABSTRACT: Sour cassava starch is a naturally modified starch produced by fermentation and sun drying, achieving the property of expansion upon baking. Sour cassava starch' bakery products can be prepared without the addition of yeast and it is gluten free. The fermentation process associated with this product has been well studied, but the wastewater, with high acidity and richness in other organic compounds derived from starch degradation, requires further investigation. In this study, the structure of solids present in this residue was studied, seeking to future applications for new materials. The solids of the wastewater were spray dried with maltodextrin (MD) with dextrose equivalent (DE) of 5 and 15 and the structure of the powder was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. A regular structure with a network arrangement was observed for the dried material with MD of 5 DE, in contrast to the original and fermented starches structure, which suggests a regular organization of this new material, to be studied in future applications