Abstract
Ohmic heating uses electric resistance heat which occurs equally and rapidly inside food when the electrical current is transmitted into. Prior to the study, we have researched the potato starch's thermal property changes during ohmic heating. Comparing with conventional heating, the gelatinization temperature and the range of potato starch treated by ohmic heating are increased and narrowed respectively. This result is appeared equally at wheat, corn and sweet potato starch. At this study, we treated potato, wheat, corn and sweet potato starch by ohmic/conventional method and observed change of external structure by microscope and internal structure by X-ray diffractometer. Conventional heated at $55^{\circ}C$ potato starch was not external structural changes. But ohmic heated potato starch is showed largely change. Some small size starch particle were broken or small particles are made of larger particle together or small particles caught up in the large particle. Changes in ohmic heated potato starch at $60^{\circ}C$ was greater. The inner matter came to an external particle burst inside and only the husk has been observed. The same change was observed in the rest of the starch. The change of internal structure of potato starch was measured using X-ray diffraction patterns. There was no significant difference between ohmic and conventional heating at $55^{\circ}C$. But almost every peak has disappeared ohmic at $60^{\circ}C$. Especially $5.4^{\circ}$ peak to represent the type B was completely gone. When viewed from the above results, external changes with change in the internal crystal structure of the starch particles were largely unknown to appear. In conclusion, during ohmic heating changes of starch due to the electric field with a change in temperature by the heating was found to have progressed at the same time.