Cereal Chem 49:194 - 200.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Effect of Chlorine on the Starch Component of Soft Wheat Flour.

K. Kulp, C. C. Tsen, and C. J. Daly. Copyright 1972 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Changes that take place in the starch component during treatment of flour with chlorine were studied. Cake flour was treated with successive increments of chlorine (1.0 to 16.0 oz. per cwt.) and starch was then isolated from each sample of treated flour. The effect of the treatment was evaluated by the following indices: Pasting characteristics (Brabender Viscograph), swelling power, solubility, and water-binding capacity. The pasting characteristics of the parent flour were also tested. Baking tests of chlorinated flours (white layer-cakes) showed an otimum range within 1.0 to 4.0 oz. chlorine per cwt.; above these levels rapid deterioration of quality occurred. Starches isolated from flour treated with up to 4.0 oz. per cwt. gave hot and cold consistencies similar to those of the untreated flour; above this level chlorination caused drastic reductions of paste consistencies, which was attributed to the depolymerization of starch. Of the other starch properties studied, water-binding capacity increased consistently throughout the entire concentration range. Swelling power increased only slightly up to the 4.0 oz. per cwt. level, but then increased significantly at higher levels. Solubilities increased only above the 4.0-oz.-per-cwt. treatment level. Amylograms of chlorinated flour indicated a decrease of amylolytic power with increasing chlorination.