The article described the development of new variety of cassava which researched from Thai Tapioca Development Institute (TTDI) and Center Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT). This is the first time in the world for generating new variety of cassava which high amylopectin content. After processing to be high amylopectin tapioca starch or waxy tapioca starch, SMS Corporation researched the characteristic of waxy tapioca starch and found the outstanding benefit in term of good texturizer, high performance of viscosity and together with freeze and thaw stability which could enhance many aspects of food products in food industry.

Starch is a polysaccharide substance derived from a complex structure of glucose. In photosynthesis the plant’s enzyme polymerize glucose and result in amylose and amylopectin. Starch from different plants will possess a different ratio of amylose and amylopectin.High amylose has high retrogradation which makes it unsuitable for the soup, sauce, bakery and frozen food industry. Numerous researchers who tried to reduce amylose level in plants have successfully yielded interesting products, like high amylopectin corn starch, rice, or wheat. Products like these are in high demand for the Thai food industry, however, with the lack of technology to produce on industrial level, these products had to be imported.

AMYLOPECTIN, or WAXY TAPIOCA STARCH

To enhance the distinctive characteristics of tapioca and to encourage Thai farmers to grow more valuable varieties of cassava,the THAI TAPIOCA DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE ( TTDI ), COLOMBIA’S CENTER INTERNATIONAL de AGRICULTURA TROPICAL ( CIAT ) and a team of professors of KASETSART UNIVERSITY had successful developed a breed of high amylopectin cassava. This is the first time in the word that it can be cropped on industrial level.