Abstract: In order to evaluate the feasibility of using mechanically activated sweet potato starch to develop gluten-free foods, a self-made stirring-type ball mill was used for mechanical activation pretreatment of sweet potato starch. The effect of mechanical force on the agglomeration characteristics of sweet potato starch and its application in biscuits were discussed. The results showed that the mechanical force destroyed the crystalline structure of the outer layer of starch granules, leading to a decrease in crystallinity, and changing the morphology of starch granules from spherical to irregular lumps with their surface becoming rougher. With the extension of mechanical activation time, the cold water solubility and swelling power increased significantly from 1.61% and 2.14% to 13.86% and 5.77%, while the gelatinization temperature decreased from 75.9 ℃ to 42.2 ℃. The transverse relaxation time of starch shortened, the interaction between starch and water increased, with the immobilized water content rising and the free water content dropping. When the mechanical activation time exceeded 20 minutes, sweet potato starch could form a unique dough structure. With the extension of mechanical activation time, the formation time and stability time of dough decreased from 3.27 and 3.87 min to 0.73 and 1.27 min, the degree of weakening reduced, whereas the hardness, elasticity, adhesiveness, and resilience increased, and the viscoelasticity became similar to that of wheat flour dough. In summary, biscuits prepared with mechanically activated sweet potato starch showed sensory quality comparable to wheat-flour biscuits, indicating that this starch is a feasible ingredient for gluten-free products