Description

What is maltodextrin?

Maltodextrin used as a food additive. It is a polysaccharide produced from vegetable starch through the process of partial hydrolysis, and it usually appears in the form of a white, hygroscopic, and spray-dried powder.
Maltodextrin commonly found at the bottom of packaged foods. It is a flavourless starch from corn, potatoes, wheat, or rice. The ingredient digested easily and rapidly absorbed at the same rate as glucose. Commercially, maltodextrin is used in the production of candy and soft drinks as well as in some other processed food products.
Maltodextrin is a starchy powder that often used to thicken foods, improve their flavour and elongate shelf life. Structurally, it contains D-glucose units which are linked variably. The FDA has approved maltodextrin as a food additive, although people with diabetes have to be wary of it. The sweeter maltodextrin is the higher its solubility, and the lower the heat resistance.

How is maltodextrin produced?

Maltodextrin is a highly processed starch made starch, corn, wheat, potatoes through the process of hydrolysis which used to derive maltodextrin. In the process of hydrolysis, enzymes, acids, and water are used to break down the long-chain polysaccharide into smaller, variable units. The resultant process is a white, flavourless, water-soluble powder.

Uses of maltodextrin:

Maltodextrin often used as a thickener and a preservative in the food industry to improve the texture of food in the mouth. It is used in snacks to reduce the fat content while retaining the texture. It is a cost-effective additive to food.

Maltodextrin is used as a filler to increase the volume of processed foods. It can also serve as a preservative to increase the shelf life of packaged food products. It is relatively inexpensive and cheap to produce. Hence, It is useful in preparing thickening products such as sauces, gelatins and salad dressings.