Continuing with part 1, let’s learn more about what uses of tapioca starch is:

1. Food Processing and Pharmaceutical

Tapioca starch serves as filler in the food and pharmaceutical industry. In particular, it contributes to the solid component comprised in pills and tablets. Also, a less sweet form of sugar is produced through the acid hydrolysis process that converts starch to glucose sugar. In the same vein, the D-glucose type is produced from starch by the process of complete hydrolysis.

Generally, tapioca starch is preferred specifically in the manufacture of glucose syrup because of its low protein, soluble protein, content.

Today, the glucose syrup and dextrose extracted from starch is largely and increasingly replacing the use of sucrose in the food processing industry. Perhaps this is because of cost savings from the direct manufacture of glucose syrup from its starch endowed roots as opposed to first separating the starch and purifying it before the proper syrup production.

2. Biofuel

In recent times, there’s a move from the use of fossil fuel to biofuel. This is because there have been scientific observations indicating that humans need to focus more effort on preserving our natural habitat.  Overtime, there has been inherent physical manifestation of adverse environmental signs such as global warming.

According to Wikipedia, biofuel “is a fuel that is produced through contemporary biological processes, such as agriculture and anaerobic digestion, rather than a fuel produced by geological processes like those involved in the formation of fossil fuels including coal and petroleum, from prehistoric biological matter”. In essence, the use of biofuel made from ethanol, a fermented derivation from starch, is healthier for the environment than what most of the world currently uses – petroleum.

Catching that trend, four years ago, we began to look for customers to import tapioca starch to make ethanol. And luckily, we found out and contacted Mr. Louis – British. He is looking for a supplier of tapioca starch in Southeast Asia that is capable of supplying large quantities of tapioca starch to make ethanol. After the exchange process, we got the first order. And after the first order, his ethanol product has very high quality. So we have been partners since then.

Essentially, the potential uses of tapioca starch in the world society cannot be overstated.