If you’ve recently scanned the ingredients list of a food product and encountered the term “maltodextrin,” you might be wondering what this mysterious-sounding substance is and what it’s doing in your favorite snacks or packaged foods. Maltodextrin is a common but often misunderstood food additive.
In this article, we will explore what it is, why it’s used in the food industry, and whether you should be concerned about its presence in your diet.
Let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
WHAT IS MALTODEXTRIN?
Maltodextrin, a carbohydrate commonly employed in the food and beverage sector as a food additive, is a white, starchy powder with exceptional versatility. Its neutral taste and excellent solubility in water make it a valuable ingredient. It is derived from the partial hydrolysis of starch, often sourced from crops like corn, rice, potato, or wheat, yielding a blend of short glucose molecule chains, referred to as oligosaccharides.
Chemically, maltodextrin is composed of glucose units linked together by alpha (α) linkages. It is a polysaccharide, meaning it contains multiple glucose molecules connected in a chain. These glucose units are linked by glycosidic bonds, primarily α-(1→4) and α-(1→6) linkages. The presence of these linkages is what makes maltodextrin distinct from other sugar compounds like maltose or sucrose.
Maltodextrin’s composition and structure can vary depending on its source and production method. The degree of hydrolysis determines the length of the glucose chains. This, in turn, affects its properties, such as solubility, viscosity, and digestibility. Maltodextrin with shorter chains is more soluble and imparts a less viscous texture to food and beverages, making it suitable for applications like powdered drink mixes. Longer chains, on the other hand, contribute to the creaminess and mouthfeel in dairy products or desserts.
Maltodextrin is valued in the food industry for its role in stabilizing and thickening products, improving texture, and serving as a bulking agent. It’s also frequently used in products that require a source of easily digestible carbohydrates, such as sports drinks and meal replacement shakes.
HOW IS IT MADE?
Maltodextrin is produced through a multi-step process that begins with the extraction of starch from sources such as corn, rice, wheat, or potatoes.
Once the starch is isolated and purified, it undergoes gelatinization by mixing it with water and subjecting it to heat. This gelatinization process disrupts the natural starch granules, converting them into a more soluble form. Enzymatic hydrolysis follows, where specific enzymes are added to break down the starch chains into shorter polysaccharides by cleaving the glycosidic bonds between the glucose units. The choice of enzymes and their activity levels influence the final characteristics of the maltodextrin product.
After the enzymatic hydrolysis, the resulting mixture is filtered to remove insoluble impurities. This leaves behind a solution containing various oligosaccharides of different chain lengths. This solution is then concentrated through evaporation to reduce its water content. The concentrated syrup is transformed into the familiar maltodextrin powder through either spray drying or drum drying.
Subsequently, the powder can be mixed to formulate maltodextrin with tailored characteristics, including chain length, solubility, and viscosity, which are contingent on the planned usage. Ultimately, the maltodextrin product is readied for packaging and subsequent distribution to be employed in the food and beverage sector. Maltodextrin’s remarkable versatility and capacity for adjustment makes it an essential component in a broad spectrum of processed foods, beverages, and various consumer goods.
MALTODEXTRIN FUNCTIONS IN FOODS
Maltodextrin is a valued and versatile food additive in the food industry, renowned for its multifaceted role in enhancing various aspects of food products. Its diverse applications span from stabilizing and thickening to textural improvement and bulking. Let’s further discuss each functions.
Stabilizing Agent
Maltodextrin acts as a key ingredient that helps maintain the structure and consistency of various food products. It prevents ingredients from separating or settling. For instance, in salad dressings and mayonnaise, maltodextrin ensures that the oil and water in these products stay mixed together, resulting in a uniform and appealing texture. This stability is vital for preserving the freshness of these products and ensuring a satisfying experience for consumers.
Thickening Properties
Maltodextrin’s thickening capabilities are highly sought after in food production. It has the capacity to modify the consistency of liquids and semi-liquid products, offering a smoother, creamier, or denser texture. This property is especially advantageous in items like soups, gravies, and sauces, where a specific thickness is desired. Maltodextrin’s neutral taste ensures that it doesn’t overpower the original flavors of the food product.
Texture Enhancement
Texture is a fundamental aspect of food quality, and maltodextrin plays a pivotal role in this domain. It can improve the texture of numerous food items, making them more palatable. In dairy products like yogurt or ice cream, maltodextrin contributes to a smoother, creamier mouthfeel, enhancing the overall sensory experience. The versatility in texture modification makes maltodextrin indispensable for creating foods that meet consumer preferences and expectations.
Bulking Agent
Maltodextrin serves as a bulking agent. Bulking agents are substances or ingredients added to food products to increase their volume or mass without significantly altering their taste or nutritional content. This characteristic is particularly useful in powdered food products like drink mixes, instant soups, and seasonings. Maltodextrin adds bulk, enhancing the convenience and utility of these products while maintaining a desirable consistency and solubility.
Flavor Carrier
Maltodextrin is highly soluble in water, which is a crucial property for a flavor carrier. When flavors are mixed with maltodextrin, they can easily dissolve and disperse in water-based systems, such as beverages, soups, or sauces. This ensures uniform distribution of the flavor throughout the product. And because it has a very mild, neutral taste, it does not add any significant flavor of its own. This is particularly important when formulating products where the pure flavor profile is desired.
FOODS THAT CONTAIN MALTODEXTRIN
Because of its versatility, maltodextrin is found in a wide variety of food products. Here are the food products that commonly contain maltodextrin:
Baked goods
In the baking process, especially for products like bread, cakes, and pastries, maintaining the right level of moisture is important. Maltodextrin can help achieve the ideal crumb texture and prevent the baked goods from becoming overly dry or crumbly. This is particularly important when producing commercial baked goods intended for longer shelf lives, as it helps extend the freshness and palatability of the products.
Energy and sports drinks
Maltodextrin provides a rapidly digestible source of carbohydrates in energy and sports drinks. Because it is composed of short chains of glucose molecules, it is easily broken down by the digestive system. This rapid digestion results in the swift release of glucose into the bloodstream. Thus, it’s an excellent source of immediate energy. During physical activity, the body’s demand for energy is heightened, and maltodextrin can help meet this demand by providing a quick energy source.
Instant beverages
Maltodextrin has excellent water solubility, which means it can quickly and easily dissolve in water or other liquids. This is particularly important in instant beverages, where consumers expect the product to mix effortlessly without clumping or leaving a residue. Maltodextrin ensures that the beverage can be prepared quickly and conveniently. Common beverages that contain maltodextrin include instant coffee, instant tea, and hot cocoa mix.
Salad dressings and condiments
Maltodextrin plays a vital role in salad dressings and condiments, including mayonnaise. It contributes significantly to achieving the desired consistency and stability in these products. By acting as a stabilizing agent, maltodextrin helps prevent separation or unwanted texture changes, ensuring that salad dressings and condiments maintain their intended thickness and texture over time.
Instant soups and sauces
Maltodextrin is a valuable ingredient in instant soups and sauces for a variety of reasons. Its exceptional solubility allows for quick and effortless dissolving in hot water or other liquids, ensuring a smooth and lump-free consistency, which is particularly important for convenient and hassle-free preparation. Moreover, maltodextrin acts as a texture enhancer, providing a pleasant mouthfeel by thickening and stabilizing the products, making them more appealing to consumers.
Maltodextrin also plays a vital role in dispersing flavors and seasonings evenly throughout the soups and sauces, contributing to a balanced and consistent taste. Its ability to stabilize these products helps maintain their overall quality by preventing ingredient separation, settling, or curdling.
Desserts
Maltodextrin enhances the texture of various sweet treats, such as ice cream, by preventing the formation of ice crystals, resulting in a smoother and creamier mouthfeel. In mousses and custards, maltodextrin acts as a stabilizer, maintaining the desserts’ light and airy consistency.
It also serves as a thickening agent, ensuring that desserts like puddings and pie fillings achieve the desired thickness. Furthermore, maltodextrin’s flavor-carrying properties ensure an even distribution of tastes in powdered gelatin mixes, contributing to a delicious and consistent product.
Confectionery products
Maltodextrin is used in products like chewy candies and gummies to create a smoother, creamier, and more pleasing mouthfeel. This improved texture enhances the overall sensory experience.
Additionally, maltodextrin serves as a bulking and binding agent, increasing the volume of confectionery products without significantly altering their taste. In energy or protein bars with various inclusions like nuts and fruits, maltodextrin helps hold these components together, preventing a crumbly or loose texture. It also contributes to consistent flavor distribution and can enhance the perception of sweetness, allowing confectionery manufacturers to achieve the desired taste while using less sugar. Moreover, maltodextrin assists in moisture control in products like powdered drink mixes, ensuring they remain free-flowing and clump-free.
Processed meats
Maltodextrin is used in processed meat as a binder and bulking agent. In products like sausages, hot dogs, and deli meats, maltodextrin contributes to the desired texture and consistency by preventing the separation of meat components. This results in a uniform and cohesive product that remains intact during cooking, packaging, and consumption.
Maltodextrin can also enhance the overall quality and palatability of processed meats. It helps to retain moisture, preventing the meat from becoming overly dry or tough during cooking. This is especially valuable in lean or low-fat meat products, where moisture retention is essential to maintain juiciness and flavor.
SAFETY CONCERNS
Maltodextrin is generally considered safe for consumption in food, and it has been widely used as a food ingredient for several decades.
Maltodextrin is officially acknowledged as a food additive by regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). In the United States, it holds the distinction of being Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). This means it is considered safe for consumption when employed in accordance with established guidelines.
Maltodextrin’s safety assessment also extends beyond the United States and the European Union. Many other countries and regions have their regulatory agencies, like Health Canada and the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), which have evaluated maltodextrin and deemed it safe for consumption. This widespread recognition underscores the global consensus on maltodextrin’s safety.
However, like most food additives, maltodextrin may cause health issues for some individuals.
Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate with a relatively high glycemic index (GI) of 95. This level can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels when consumed. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage though. For athletes or individuals needing a quick energy boost, this property is beneficial. However, for those with diabetes or seeking to manage their blood sugar, it should be consumed in moderation and monitored as part of their overall carbohydrate intake.
Additionally, there have been reported cases of certain individuals experiencing mild digestive discomfort or mild allergic reactions after consuming foods containing maltodextrin. These occurrences are infrequent and may differ from person to person. Consequently, individuals who are aware of their allergies or sensitivities should exercise care.
