Abstract: The thick-thin retort starch is an oxidized, hydroxy alkylated starch. The base starch is either a waxy or a root starch. The degree of substitution is up to 0.93 and the etherification agent is ethylene oxide or propylene oxide. The oxidation step is conducted after the etherification. Oxidation is accomplished with sodium or calcium hypochlorite at a pH of 4 to 5. A non-substituted, oxidized waxy or root starch also has thick-thin properties.

Abstract: A method for making a beverage clouding agent entails acid hydrolysis of a starch without the use of agitation during hydrolysis followed by a step of lowering the temperature of the hydrolysate to between 45.degree. C. to 60.degree. C. coupled with increasing the solids level of the slurry containing the hydrolysate to between 30.degree. to 45.degree. Be. If the slurry containing the hydrolysate is spray dried to obtain the hydrolysate, then the slurry should be preheated prior to spray drying to not more than 90.degree. C. The clouding agent produced is a starch hydrolysate which in an about 0.1% aqueous solution has a spectrophotometric reading below 70%T when measured at 25.degree. C. through a 1 cm cell at 600 nm.