Vietnamese Tapioca Starch

Vietnamese tapioca starch is also called cassava starch. It is a nutritious white flour extract derived from the cassava root. In reality, tapioca starch is the main raw material in food industry, alcohol industry, binding materials.

Vietnam is the second largest country that exports cassava and products from cassava in the world. In 2016, total value of cassava and products from cassava export of Vietnam reached to one billion US dollars. Not surprisingly, cassava root and Vietnamese tapioca starch dominated a large percentage.

China is the largest market that imports cassava and made-from-cassava products from Vietnam. In addition, there are some main import markets such as Germany, Argentina, South Korea, Philippines…

Total cultivation area of cassava was 560,000 hectares (in 2012) with total annual quantity of fresh cassava root of more than 9.5 million tonnes. Cassava is planted in all provinces in Vietnam, but mostly in Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong provinces. With more than 100 factories, we can supply more than one million tonnes of Vietnamese tapioca starch to foreign markets each year.

The process of making tapioca starch involves several steps, including:

1) Harvesting and making clean the cassava roots: at the begin, cassava roots are harvested and washed to remove any dirt or debris.
2) Peeling and grating the cassava: The outer peel of the cassava root is removed, and the root is then grated or shredded into small pieces.
3) Separating the starch from the pulp: The grated cassava is then soaked in water and agitated to release the starch from the pulp. The starch slurry is then passed through a series of screens to remove any remaining pulp or fibers.
4) Settling and drying the starch: The starch slurry is allowed to settle, and the water is drained off. The starch is then dried using a variety of methods, such as sun-drying, oven-drying, or drum-drying.
5) Milling and sieving the dried starch: The dried starch is milled to a fine powder and then sifted through a series of screens to remove any lumps or impurities.
6) Packaging and storage: The tapioca starch is then packaged in bags or other containers and stored in a cool, dry place until it is ready to be used.
7) The exact process may vary depending on the manufacturer and the equipment used, but these are the basic steps involved in producing tapioca starch.