Starch-based hydrogels: current status and applications in food

Hydrogel is a gel formed by a three-dimensional network of hydrophilic polymers and copolymers, widely used for different purposes in the textile, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, biomedical, and food industries. The use of starch hydrogels in food applications is growing and can be used mainly as a release control system for bioactive compounds, ingredient for 3D printing of food and in bioactive films. This integrative review aimed to bring the current scenario of the development of starch-based hydrogels and their use in the food area. Studies published from 2011 to 2021, available in full, published in Portuguese, English or Spanish, were selected. 631 studies were found in the searched databases. Of these, 599 were excluded and 32 selected. Studies have revealed that the development of starch hydrogels has increased more and more, being widely discussed nowadays, with relevance for application in the food area.