Distarch phosphate is a modified starch in which neighbouring starch chains are tied together by phosphate bridges, a process called cross-linking. It is made by reacting starch with sodium trimetaphosphate or phosphorus oxychloride. The links hold the swollen starch granules together, so the starch resists breaking down when it is heated, stirred or mixed with acidic fruit. It is INS 1412 and E1412, classed by Codex as an emulsifier, stabilizer and thickener.
That toughness suits bake-stable fillings, which have to stay thick in the oven instead of running out of the dough. On SeekSnack it is listed among the additives of Denma filled cookie with fruits, a butter cookie with strawberry, prune and apricot fillings.
