Which process occurs when starch granules absorb liquid in the presence of heat and thicken the liquid, forming a gel?

Which process occurs when starch granules absorb liquid in the presence of heat and thicken the liquid, forming a gel?

• A. Gelatinisation
• B. Dextrinisation
• C. Gelation
• D. Hydrolysis

Answer: (A)

When starch is heated with a liquid, the granules take up water, swell and their internal structure breaks down. This allows starch molecules to leach out and the mixture becomes thicker, a process called gelatinisation. As heating continues, the paste thickens further and may become smooth. If the mixture is cooled, those molecules can then re-associate to form a network that traps water, creating a gel through a separate step called gelation. The other terms describe different changes: dextrinisation is forming dextrins through partial hydrolysis, and hydrolysis is breaking starch into simpler sugars, neither of which describes the thickening caused by heating in water.

When starch is heated with a liquid, the granules take up water, swell and their internal structure breaks down. This allows starch molecules to leach out and the mixture becomes thicker, a process called gelatinisation. As heating continues, the paste thickens further and may become smooth. If the mixture is cooled, those molecules can then re-associate to form a network that traps water, creating a gel through a separate step called gelation. The other terms describe different changes: dextrinisation is forming dextrins through partial hydrolysis, and hydrolysis is breaking starch into simpler sugars, neither of which describes the thickening caused by heating in water.