Abstract: A food grade texture agent in the form of thermally stabilized swelling resistant and non crystalline particles of high amylose starch, which present a gelled soft structure, in which the amylose content of the starch is between 40 and 70%, and in which 90% of the particles have a diameter in the range of 5 to 30 microns. This agent can be prepared by suspending the high amylose starch in water, heating the slurry thus obtained to about 80.degree.-100.degree. C., preferably 90.degree.-100.degree. C., under continuous controlled stirring without shearing but sufficient to avoid particle aggregation and so as to form the desired particle gel product, and then cooling the product. It can be used in food preparations as a fat substitute and/or a whitening agent.