POTATO STARCH PASTE BEHAVIOR AS RELATED TO SAME PHYSICAL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES/

Potato starch with anomalous stable (constant with time) paste viscosi ty has been proposed as a natural replacement for cross-linked starch, but its behavior and the influencing factors are not well understood. Starch from 44 samples of potato tubers representing 34 genotypes was analyzed for phosphorus, mean granule diameter, amylose, calcium, mag nesium, sodium, and potassium. Except for granule diameter, sodium, an d potassium, each of those properties correlated significantly with on e or more of five paste characteristics determined using the Brabender Visco-amylograph. Three samples had a stable viscosity in 1 yr of the study, but their behavior was not associated with unusual values of t he other measured properties. The stable viscosity is probably a herit able trait influenced by cultural and climatic factors.