Maltodextrin

Other Name(s):

CAS# 9050-36-6

Maltodextrin is most commonly made using corn or wheat as a raw material but be made from other high starch plants like potatoes, rice, tapioca and even yuca.

Benefits: Why is Maltodextrin used?

Preservative

Maltodextrin increases the shelf life of packaged foods

Thickener

Maltodextrin may help to increase the volume of hair strands for fuller body and it is also used as a thickener in foods.

Gluten Dilemma

Maltodextrin is considered gluten-free even when made from wheat.

Flavour Enhancer

Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and the taste of many foods, especially processed food items.

Learn more about Maltodextrin:

On the Shelf: Which Products Use Maltodextrin?

Maltodextrin is used in a very large number of different product types - from body and beauty, to foods and beverages and even in health supplements. It’s usually used as a binding agent and crystallization inhibitor in foods, anti-caking agent in powder-type makeups, and volumizer in shampoos (especially for flat looking hair).

Production: How is Maltodextrin Made?

Maltodextrin is a mixture of glucose, maltose, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides made by enzymatic hydrolysation of starch.

Interesting Fact: Maltodextrin

Though maltodextrin is considered gluten-free by organisations such Beyond Coeliac, local South African Food & Allergy Consulting & Testing experts at FACTS SA report that partially hydrolysed wheat proteins may still be present in maltodextrin made from wheat.

Maltodextrin is usually used in foodstuffs at very low concentrations and won’t majorly increase total carbohydrate intake. However, diabetics may wish to avoid it.

Even though maltodextrin has a glycaemic index higher than refined table sugar, it is not considered a sugar. This means that on nutritional information tables, the inclusion of maltodextrin doesn’t contribute to the “total sugar” measurement, but it does increase the “total carbohydrate” value!