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Modified starch

What the research shows

Not enough

published research on this page yet

A starch that has been treated to change how it behaves.

It thickens, steadies or blends foods, and helps them cope with heat, acid, freezing or time.1

What research says

Animal and lab studies only

  • Open question

    Nutrient retention in dried food4

    Adding modified starch to freeze-dried orange juice co-product helped keep vitamin C and flavonoids from breaking down.

  • Open question

    Mineral absorption from baby formula6

    In lab studies, pregelatinized rice starch raised iron and zinc availability in infant formula, while maltodextrin lowered zinc.

Study type not stated

How it’s made and used

  • Salad dressing texture3

    Treated rice bran can replace modified starch in salad dressing and still give acceptable texture and taste.

  • Slow breakdown and release5

    In lab studies, modified starch combined with whey protein broke down more slowly and released curcumin gradually.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

References

  1. 1Modified starch. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
  2. 2Turck D, Castenmiller J, Hirsch Ernst KI, et al. Scientific Opinion related to a notification from Lyckeby Starch AB on barley starch to be used in the manufacturing of several foods as ingredient, of the food additive modified starch and of glucose syrups pursuant to Article 21(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 - for permanent exemption from labelling. EFSA J. 2020;18(5):e06118. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6118
  3. 3Maani B, Alimi M, Shokoohi S, Fazeli F. Substitution of modified starch with hydrogen peroxide-modified rice bran in salad dressing formulation: physicochemical, texture, rheological and sensory properties. J Texture Stud. 2017;48(3):205-214. doi:10.1111/jtxs.12229
  4. 4García-Martínez E, Camacho MDM, Martínez-Navarrete N. In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Compounds of Freeze-Dried Orange Juice Co-Product Formulated with Gum Arabic and Modified Starch. Molecules. 2023;28(2). doi:10.3390/molecules28020810
  5. 5Li Y, Li R, Chen S, et al. Understanding regulating effects of protein-anionic octenyl succinic anhydride-modified starch interactions on the structural, rheological, digestibility and release properties of starch. J Sci Food Agric. 2024;104(14):8580-8592. doi:10.1002/jsfa.13686
  6. 6Bosscher D, Van Caillie-Bertrand M, Van Cauwenbergh R, Deelstra H. Availabilities of calcium, iron, and zinc from dairy infant formulas is affected by soluble dietary fibers and modified starch fractions. Nutrition. 2003;19(7-8):641-5. doi:10.1016/s0899-9007(03)00063-7