Waxy potato starch is a variety of commercially available

starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...

composed almost entirely of

amylopectin Amylopectin is a water-insoluble polysaccharide and highly branched polymer of α-glucose units found in plants. It is one of the two components of starch, the other being amylose. Plants store starch within specialized organelles called amylopla ...

molecules, extracted from new

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern United S ...

varieties. Standard starch extracted from traditional potato varieties contains both

amylose Amylose is a polysaccharide made of α-D-glucose units, bonded to each other through α(1→4) glycosidic bonds. It is one of the two components of starch, making up approximately 20–30%. Because of its tightly packed helical structure, amylose ...

and amylopectin. Waxy potato starch, when gelatinized, has a clearer film, a stickier paste and retrogradates (thickening of starch film or paste during storage) less compared to regular

potato starch Potato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain leucoplasts (starch grains). To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed, and the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells. Th ...

. Waxy potato starch derivatives are used in

textile sizing Sizing or size is a substance that is applied to, or incorporated into, other materials—especially papers and textiles—to act as a protective filler or glaze. Sizing is used in papermaking and textile manufacturing to change the absorption ...

and food applications. Two types of potato plant varieties are developed using different methods: one using traditional breeding techniques and another using

genetic manipulation Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including ...

(GMO).

Amylopectin potato (traditional breeding)

Through traditional breeding techniques an amylose-free mutant was obtained without genetic manipulation. Since 2005 the first natural potato variety Eliane is being cultivated and marketed by the starch company

AVEBE The cooperative Royal Avebe U.A. (abbreviation of ''Aardappelmeel Verkoop Bureau'') is an international Dutch starch manufacturer located in the north of the Netherlands and produces starch products based on potato starch and potato protein for use ...

Amylopectin potato (genetically modified)

Genetically modified amylopectin potato varieties have been developed. As genetic engineering is a controversial public opinion topic, commercialisation remains difficult. However, in March 2010,

EFSA The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain. EFSA was established in February 2002, ...

allowed

BASF BASF SE () is a German multinational chemical company and the largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters is located in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The BASF Group comprises subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 80 countries ...

to commercialized the variety

Amflora Amflora (also known as EH92-527-1) is a genetically modified potato cultivar developed by BASF Plant Science. "Amflora" potato plants produce pure amylopectin starch that is processed to waxy potato starch. It was approved for industrial applic ...

within the EU. A point of criticism of GMOs is the use of genetic engineering techniques to imprecisely perform

horizontal gene transfer Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) or lateral gene transfer (LGT) is the movement of genetic material between unicellular and/or multicellular organisms other than by the ("vertical") transmission of DNA from parent to offspring (reproduction). HG ...

. For the GM-amylopectin potato only potato DNA from other cultivars is transferred in as a

transgene A transgene is a gene that has been transferred naturally, or by any of a number of genetic engineering techniques, from one organism to another. The introduction of a transgene, in a process known as transgenesis, has the potential to change the ...

. Some organizations call genetic modification, using foreign, but related transgenes

cisgenesis Cisgenesis is a product designation for a category of genetically engineered plants. A variety of classification schemes have been proposed that order genetically modified organisms based on the nature of introduced genotypical changes, rather th ...

. In the beginning of 2013 BASF stop all activities on Amflora in EU BASF drops GM potato projects, 7 Februari 2013, Chemistry World
/ref> due to 'uncertainty in the regulatory environment and threats of field destructions'.

Waxy potato varieties

The term "waxy potato" refers also to potato varieties which stay firm after cooking and retain their shape (boiling potato). Waxy potatoes have lower starch content (16-18%) than floury potatoes.

External links

EFSA

BASF Amflora gmo starch

Waxy potato starch gelatinization film, Youtube

References

{{Reflist Potatoes Starch