Influence of sucrose on the rheology and granule size of cross-linked waxy maize starch dispersions heated at two temperatures

Cross-linked waxy maize (CWM) starch dispersions (STDs) of concentration 50 g kg−1 were heated in sucrose solutions containing 0–600 g kg−1 (g sucrose/kg dispersion) at 85 °C at low shear and in intermittently agitated cans at 110 °C. The STDs heated in 0–300 g kg−1 sucrose exhibited antithixotropic behavior, while those heated in 400–600 g kg−1 sucrose exhibited thixotropic behavior. The mean starch granule diameter of the starch dispersions did not show strong dependence on sucrose concentration. The dispersions, especially those with high sucrose concentrations and heated at 110 °C, exhibited G′ versus frequency (ω) profiles of gels. The STDs exhibited first normal stress differences that increased in magnitude with the concentration of sucrose. Values of the first normal stress coefficient of canned dispersions calculated from dynamic rheological data plotted against ω and experimental values plotted against shear rate of some of the STDs overlapped.