Starch plays a leading role in determining the texture of many foods, which is vital to both the consumer and the food manufacturer, as a major factor that governs the acceptability and palatability of most food products. Maize Starch, because of its abundance and low cost, is used wherever its properties are applicable. Maize Starch takes a relatively short time to form a viscous and opaque paste, which has a typical cereal flavour and is widely used for thickening sauces, gravies, puddings and pie fillings. Cornstarch finds numerous uses in the baking industry. Addition of starch makes hard wheat flour preferred for cakes.

Cornstarch is used to give proper strength to ice cream cones and sugar water shells. In addition to the above mentioned uses, it finds numerous uses in "dusting" to facilitate certain baking operations. Starch is also used as an inert ingredient in baking powder and also in salad dressing.

The addition of starch to the wet end of the paper is generally referred to as beater sizing. Here, the primary function of starch is to increase paper strength, to lay surface fuzz and to increase stiffness and rattle of the paper. Practical experience has shown that adding 1% to 2% starch, on the dry weight of the fibre, is quite sufficient to achieve the desired result. Size press application of starch in the paper industry is often referred to as tub sizing or surface sizing. The purpose of size press application is to improve appearance and erasability, inhibit ink penetration and form hard firm surface for writing or printing and to prepare the sheet for subsequent coating. The size press is chiefly used to improve the writing and printing characteristics of sheets such as bond, ledger, tablet, envelope, chart and business grade. The second important use for surface sizing of paper products is for calender stack and here its main purpose is to enhance surface characteristics such as scuff resistance and printability. Native starches are generally used at concentrations ranging from 2% to 5%.