Influence of a type and concentration of oat starch and various polysaccharide-based thickening combinations (oat starch-xanthan gum, oat starch-oat hydrolysate, oat hydrolysate-xanthan gum and potato starch-xanthan gum) upon rheological, textural, and sensory properties of sweet and sour (S&S) sauces were studied. Either oat starch or combinations of oat starch with xanthan gum, and oat hydrolysate with xanthan gum provided superior adhesiveness, and stringiness of S&S sauces Every tested thickener offered statistically equally good penetration force, and sensory properties of S&S sauces. In sauces thickened with potato starch xanthan gum blends, penetration force, adhesiveness, and stringiness increased, and the same trends could be observed in sauces thickened with blends of oat starch with oat hydrolysates. In sauces containing either the blends of oat starch with xanthan gum or three component blend of oat starch with oat hydrolysate and xanthan gum these textural parameters decreased on storage, although in the latter blends changes in stringiness were negligible. Changes in area of thixotropy, and K constants in the Ostwald-de Waele and Herschel-Bulkley models followed the same direction as penetration force, adhesiveness, and stringiness under the influence of particular thickeners. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.