AbstractIt was investigated whether the degradability of starch could be predicted by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Degradation of potato starch with a varying degree of gelatinization. of isolated starch of different origins, and of raw materials differing in origin and technological treatment was determined with α‐amylase and bovine ruminal fluid. Gelatinization enthalpy and the gelatinization temperature of starch were determined by DSC.There was a good correlation between gelatinization enthalpy measured by DSC and degradation with α‐amylase and ruminal fluid for potato starches with varying degrees of gelatinization and for isolated starch granules of different origins. For raw materials of different origins there was a good correlation between gelatinization enthalpy and degradation with α‐amylase, whereas the correlation between gelatinization enthalpy and degradation with ruminal fluid was poor. There was a good correlation between gelatinization enthalpy and degradation with both α‐amylase and ruminal fluid for (technologically treated) raw materials of one and the same origin. There was no relation between starch degradation and gelatinization