FLAVORS ARE OFTEN THE MOST EXPENSIVE INGREDIENTS IN A PRODUCT FORMULATION. FLAVOR STABILITY AND RELEASE BEHAVIOR ARE SIGNIFICANT QUALITY AND ACCEPTABILITY FACTORS FOR FOOD, BUT THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. A PRIMARY RESEARCH CHALLENGE FOR SCIENTISTS IS TO SEEK FOR NEW METHODS TO IMPROVE FLAVOR USE EFFICIENCY AND STABILITY, AND TO MODULATE FLAVOR QUALITY AND RELEASE. THE STARCH-GUEST INCLUSION COMPLEX REPRESENTS AS AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO THE CHALLENGES OF FOOD FLAVOR USES. STARCH IS AN IMPORTANT AGRICULTURE COMMODITY AND HAS NUMEROUS COMMERCIAL USES IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY. STARCH IS ABLE TO FORM INCLUSION COMPLEX WITH SMALL GUEST MOLECULES SUCH AS FLAVOR COMPOUNDS, WHERE THE GUEST MOLECULES ARE WRAPPED BY STARCH MOLECULES. THIS COMPLEX MACROMOLECULAR ARCHITECTURE OFFERS PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES SUPERIOR TO THOSE OF THE GUEST MOLECULES, SUCH AS THEIR DISPERSIBILITY, STABILITY, AND CONTROLLED/TRIGGERED RELEASE. THE ABILITY OF STARCH TO FORM INCLUSION COMPLEXES WITH SMALL MOLECULES HAS A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON THE QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF NEARLY ALL STARCH-CONTAINING FOODS. COMPLEXATION WITH FLAVOR COMPOUNDS IS EXPECTED TO MODULATE THE IMPACT OF THE FLAVOR COMPOUNDS AND THUS THE SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF FOODS. SUCH MECHANISM MAY LEAD TO MANY NICHE APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING EXTENDED RELEASE OF AROMAS, IMPROVED STABILITY OF FLAVORS, TASTE MASKING, AND OFF-FLAVOR SCAVENGING. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF STUDIES ON STARCH-FLAVOR INCLUSION COMPLEXES AND THEIR PREPARATION, BUT FEW HAVE EXPLORED AND REALIZED PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS. SUCCESSFUL EXPLOITATION OF STARCH-FLAVOR INCLUSION COMPLEXES IS HINDERED BY (I) A LACK OF COST-EFFICIENT AND REPRODUCIBLE PREPARATION METHODS, AND (II) A LACK OF A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF COMPLEXATION THERMODYNAMICS AND KINETICS BASED ON THE HOST AND GUEST STRUCTURE AND CHEMISTRY. FOR THESE REASONS, THIS PROJECT WILL EXTEND THE ADVANCES IN COMPLEXATION MECHANISMS BETWEEN STARCH AND FLAVOR COMPOUNDS, WITH THE GOAL OF DEVELOPING STARCH-FLAVOR INCLUSION COMPLEXES TO IMPROVE SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF FOODS. MODULATED AROMA RELEASE AND RETENTION, UNPLEASANT TASTE MASKING, AND OFF-FLAVOR SCAVENGING IN MODEL FOODS WILL BE EXPLORED AS THE MOST PROMISING INITIAL APPLICATIONS.