Abstract: A starch adhesive composition which comprises; a gelatinized carrier starch, an ungelatinized starch, an alkali and eater in which the ungelatinized starch comprises a cross linked starch and the composition also contains a hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether.

Abstract: A process for the production of hard candy comprises heating a maltitol-containing mixture of sugar alcohols at an elevated temperature in which the maltitol content of the sugar alcohol mixture is more than 77% but less than 86% by weight preferably 82 to 84% by weight based on dry substance and the elevated temperature is preferably 150.degree. to 158.degree. C.

Abstract: In a process for extruding or injection moulding starch-containing composition, a substantially transparent product is produced by providing that the starch used contains less than 8% by weight of water, that the water content of the starch in the barrel of the extruder or injection moulding machine is controlled so as to be within the range of from 5 to 20% by weight (based on the weight of the starch) and that water is removed from the composition immediately before the composition leaves the barrel of the extruder or the injection moulding machine so that the water content of the composition passing through the die and/or entering the mould is less than 3% by weight of the starch.

Abstract: A composition which is suitable as the sweetener base of a sweet, reduced calorie food product such as an instant pie filling or a bakery cream, comprises erythritol, sorbitol and a glucose oligomer having a DE of 10 to 30, particularly 20 to 23. The composition may also contain fructose and/or maltitol or an intense sweetener such as aspartame.

Abstract: A method of making chocolate is disclosed. Here sugar alcohol, particularly erythritol or maltitol, is mixed with the remaining ingredients by dry couching at a temperature above 65.degree. C.

Abstract: A starch product which comprises gelatinized starch sulphamate and gelatinized starch phosphate is useful as a binder, particularly for coal briquettes. The product may be made by mixing preformed starch sulphamate and preformed starch phosphate but may also be prepared by heating gelatinized starch, gelatinized starch and a gelatinous starch sulphamate or gelatinized starch, and a gelatinized starch phosphate with, respectively a sulphamate and a phosphate, a phosphate or a sulphamate. Briquettes made from coal and the starch product having good bonding strength and carbonize with a clear flame.

Abstract: A comparison which is suitable for use, particularly in hard gums, as a replacement for gum arabic, comprises a mixture, which is preferably agglomerated, of an extruded waxy starch, a low DE (e.g. 1 to 5) maltodextrin and enzymatically hydrolysed collagen. Most preferably the composition has 70 to 72% by weight extruded waxy starch, 17 to 19% by weight maltodextrin and 10 to 12% by weight of enzymatically hydrolysed collagen.

Abstract: An immune-stimulatory or tumor treatment agent, optionally in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent, comprises extracellular .beta.-glucan produced by Glomerella cingulata CMI CC 330957 or by mutants or variants thereof.

Abstract: A process is described for the production of an aqueous polymer dispersion by polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated compounds by means of free-radical initiators in the presence of starch and/or starch derivatives and optional further conventional adjuvants, and which the dispersions are coagulate-free, have a low viscosity, and a small particle size, said process comprising polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated diene monomer or mixture of monomers consisting of20 to 100% by weight of a diene,0 to 80% by weight of a vinyl-aromatic monomer,0 to 50% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated monomerin the presence of an aqueous solution or dispersion of dextrins containing 10 parts to 200 parts by weight dextrins, which are optionally chemically modified, wherein the content of said dextrins having a molecular weight in excess of 5000 is at least 50% by weight and the content of dextrins having a molecular weight in excess of 100,000 is not in excess of 5% by weight of the dextrin component.

Abstract: A process for the production of a glass or other mineral fibre composition in which glass or other mineral fibre is melted, the molten glass or mineral is forced through a plurality of openings to produce fibres, the hot fibres are sprayed with a water disperion of a binder and the fibres are dried at an elevated temperature, the binder comprising a gelatinized starch sulphamate product and a hydrophobic agent such as a silicone. The gelatinized starch sulphamate may be preformed by reacting a starch with a sulphamate salt or may be formed in situ by spraying onto the hot fibres a water dispersion of pregelatinized starch and a sulphamate salt. In this latter case part of the pregelatinized starch may be replaced by native starch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an aqueous acrylate polymer dispersion having a total solids content of 30 to 60% by weight polymerizing one or more acrylate monomers optionally together with other olefinically unsaturated monomer(s) in the presence of dextrin at least 70% of which has a molecular weight in the range of 1000 to 25000 and not more than 10% has a molecular weight above 25000.