Maltodextrin, first used in food production in the late 1960s and early 1970s, has many potential uses in food formulation. It is a white, powdery substance made from starchy products such as corn (most common in the United States), wheat (most common in Europe), potatoes, or wheat. It is composed of D-glucose rings bonded with α(1→4) glycosidic linkages in varying length chains as long as 17 glucose rings.1
Thickener
Maltodextrin can be used as a thickener. It has little sweetness at zero percent to five percent of the sweetness of sucrose, and with added water, it becomes sticky, viscous, and high-solids. This makes maltodextrin a great candidate to add thickness to various products. These same properties also allow maltodextrin to serve well as foam stabilizers, tackifiers, or binders.2
Carrier and bulking
Maltodextrin can also be used as a filler, to add volume to products with limited flavor alterations. This is effective in a wide variety of products, and with many ingredients. For example, maltodextrin can be an extender for expensive ingredients, as well as a diluent for micro-ingredients. In these applications, maltodextrin is typically used in its powder form, and its dispersion properties provide an anti-caking quality.3
Reducer of fat content in food products
Given the physical characteristics of maltodextrin that contributes to the mouthfeel it lends products, maltodextrin can also be used to decrease the level of fat in a food product. This can be accomplished by replacing part of the fat in the product with maltodextrin. One study found that up to 50% of vegetable oil fat could be replaced by maltodextrin gels in a food product without compromising the quality.4
Extender of shelf-life
Maltodextrin will retrograde over time, similar to other starch products. However, it is helpful for moisture control and can extend the shelf-life of products in this way. Further, the film-forming properties of maltodextrin help to create food products that maintain an appealing appearance, such as by keeping icing in place or coating candy or cereal with an appetizing sheen.3
Inexpensive
Maltodextrin can be produced in large quantities very quickly and easily, resulting in an inexpensive product. This means it is very cost-effective to wrangle the food formulation benefits of maltodextrin.3
Possible concern
One potential concern with using maltodextrin in food formulation could be that consumers may be wary of this item on the ingredient list. While the FDA designates maltodextrin as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS), some consumers may be wary of the possibility that maltodextrin may cause blood sugar spikes due to the highly digestible nature of the ingredient. An additional concern for consumers could be that some research indicates that gut bacteria changes may result from the presence of high levels of maltodextrin in the gut.5
Recommended Reading
- Maltodextrin
- Maltodextrins
- Making the most of maltodextrins
- Maltodextrins may reduce fat levels by 50 per cent: Study
- What is maltodextrin and is it safe?
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Hi – I use maltodextrin but recently being interested to know if there are non-GMO versions available.