Fooducate Blog - Maltodextrin – What is it Doing in Your Food? |
| Maltodextrin – What is it Doing in Your Food? Posted: 08 Jul 2012 06:07 AM PDT  Photo: Get Dem Apples New here? Get our iPhone or Android App to scan & choose healthy groceries! Or try Fooducate’s Online Nutrition App! Maltodextrin is one of the most asked about ingredients found on food packaging. It is present in about 10% of packaged food products. So what exactly is maltodextrin? And why is it used in so many food products? Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide (type of carbohydrate) that is used as a food additive. It is produced from starches of corn, wheat, potatoes or rice through partial hydrolysis (chemical breakdown through the use of water). Maltodextrin is a white powder and, depending on its source and processing, is either almost flavorless or slightly sweet. Wheat-derived maltodextrin may contain traces of gluten, but aside from that, maltodextrin is not an allergen. Examples of maltodextrin use: 1. In dressings such as Wishbone Light Italian Dressing, as a thickener
2. Sweeteners such as Splenda and Equal, to bulk up the sweetener which is usually just a tiny fraction of the product weight.
3. Some soft drinks. Because of its slightly sweet taste, yet low glycemic index, people with diabetes can use maltodextrin as a sweetener. Bottom line: Maltodextrin is a safe food additive used as a thickener and filler in processed foods. Get Fooducated: Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/fooducate on facebook: facebook.com/fooducate |
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