Is starch only used in food?

Mainly, but not only.

More than 60 percent of all starch produced in the EU goes to food and beverage applications. The remaining 38 percent is used in non-food applications, primarily paper making, but also in other products.

Like in food, starch is used for its binding and thickening properties. For example, it is used in tissues, print and packaging paper, corrugated board and stationery to improve their durability, as well as their writing and printing properties.

A small percentage (around 2 percent) of starch, and significant amounts of starch co-products (mainly fibres and proteins), are also used in the animal feed industry as a source of energy, in order to thicken and stabilise animal feed.

To find out more about the use of starch in other non-food industries, please visit the Starch Europe website.