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Abstract
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important food crop in many tropical countries in Africa, South America and Asia. However, in Thailand, this crop has been well recognized as more than a subsistence crop. It is important commercially as the raw material for a large and complex industrial system that has a significant impact to the country’s economics. The roots of this crop contain high a starch content and approximately half of the total roots produced (20 million tons) are used for the starch industry. Cassava starch has many remarkable characteristics including high paste viscosity, high paste clarity and high freeze-thaw stability, which are advantageous to many industries. In particular, the native starch with high purity can be readily modified by physical, chemical and enzyme process to many diversified products to improve the starch functionality and, consequently, encourage more industrial application. This paper aims to describe the unique modification of cassava starch produced at the industrial level in Thailand with respect to technological aspect and product quality.