 | It has been suggested that this article besplit out into a new article titledResistant maltodextrin. (Discuss)(June 2025) |
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| Identifiers | |
|---|---|
| ChemSpider |
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.029.934 |
| EC Number |
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| UNII | |
| Properties | |
| C6nH(10n+2)O(5n+1) | |
| Molar mass | Variable |
| Appearance | White powder |
| Density | 2 |
| Free soluble or readily dispersible in water[1] | |
| Solubility | Slightly soluble to insoluble in anhydrous alcohol[1] |
| Hazards | |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in theirstandard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
Maltodextrin is a name shared by two different families of chemicals. Both families areglucosepolymers (also calleddextrose polymers ordextrins), but have little chemical or nutritional similarity.[2]
Thedigestible maltodextrins (or simplymaltodextrins) are manufactured as white solids derived from chemical processing of plantstarches.[3][4] They are used asfood additives, which are digested rapidly, providing glucose asfood energy. They aregenerally recognized as safe (GRAS) for food and beverage manufacturing in numerous products.[5] Due to their rapid production of glucose, digestible maltodextrins are potential risks for people withdiabetes.[6]
Thedigestion-resistant maltodextrins (also calledresistant maltodextrins) are defined as nutritional food additives due to their ability uponfermentation in thecolon to yieldshort-chain fatty acids, which contribute togastrointestinal health.[3][7] Digestion-resistant maltodextrins are also white solids resulting from the chemical processing of plant starches, but are processed using methods specifically to be resistant to digestion. They are used as ingredients in many consumer products, such as low-caloriesweeteners, and are consideredGRAS.
Consumers may find the shared name for different maltodextrin food additives to be confusing.[2][6]
Digestible maltodextrins are well-defined chemically, understood, and documented.[6] By contrast, digestion-resistant maltodextrins – being the newer and more complex chemical family – are less defined chemically, researched and documented.[7]
Maltodextrins are classified by adextrose equivalent (DE),[5][6] a number between 3 and 20 that corresponds to the number of free chain ends in a certain sample. A lower DE value means the polymer chains are longer (contain more glucose units) whereas a higher DE value means the chains are shorter.[6] This is an inverse concept compared with thedegree of polymerization of the chain. A high-DE maltodextrin is sweeter, more soluble, and has lower heat resistance. Above DE 20, theEuropean Union'sCN code calls itglucose syrup; at DE 10 or lower, the customs CN code nomenclature classifies maltodextrins as dextrins.[citation needed]
Maltodextrins consist ofD-glucose units connected in chains of variable length. The glucose units are primarily linked with α(1→4)glycosidic bonds, like those seen in the linear derivative ofglycogen (after the removal of α1,6- branching).[1][4][5] Commercial maltodextrin is typically composed of a mixture of chains that vary from three to 17 glucose units long. Properties of maltodextrin, such as sweetness,viscosity, and texture, can be manipulated during manufacturing by altering the extent of starch hydrolysis.[4]
Maltodextrins are digested into glucose units, contributing afood energy value of 4calories per gram (or 16kiloJoules per gram).[6] Maltodextrin manufacturing produces a high-purity product with microbiological safety. It can be used in varied food, beverage, sports, and baked products.[6]
Digestion-resistant maltodextrins are a chemical family much larger than the family of digestible maltodextrins. A definition of a digestion-resistant maltodextrin is: "Resistant maltodextrin/dextrin is a glucose oligosaccharide. Resistant maltodextrin and dextrin products are composed of non-digestible oligosaccharides of glucose molecules that are joined by digestible linkages and non-digestible α-1,2 and α-1,3 linkages."[8] The chemical is of greater structural complexity than a digestible maltodextrin. The two families of maltodextrins have little in common chemically or nutritionally.[citation needed]
Names used to identify digestion-resistant maltodextrin as an ingredient in foods for regulatory purposes includesoluble fiber,resistant dextrin, ordextrin.[2][7] Names may include the food starch used to fabricate the ingredient.[4]
The chemical family has had a history of changes in classification. As of 2023, a digestion-resistant maltodextrin is considered a resistant dextrin[7] and a resistant starch of type 5.[9][10][a] Another study contrasted resistant dextrins and resistant maltodextrins, finding them to differ chemically and functionally.[11] In that study, the final maltodextrin product required further processing of the resistant dextrin. The chemical family is effectively defined by the food starch and the manufacturing process, both of which may vary according to manufacturing preferences.[7][11]
The digestion-resistant maltodextrin ingredient has several properties exploited in food or beverage manufacturing: it is a low-moisture (5% water), free-flowing, fine white powder that disperses readily in water; it is clear in solution with lowviscosity; it is odorless, slightly acidic, and has a bland flavor; it is 90%dietary fiber.[3] The averagemolecular mass of the digestion-resistant maltodextrin molecule is 2,000daltons.[3]
Digestion-resistant maltodextrin is a soluble (fermentable) dietary fiber with numerous non-starch glycosidic bonds, allowing it to pass through thedigestive tract unchanged in physical properties without undergoing digestion, supplying no food energy.[7] In the colon, it is aprebiotic fiber fermented bygut microbiota, resulting in the formation of short-chain fatty acids contributing to gastrointestinal health.[7][12][13]
After development of food ingredients from starch sources around 1950, digestible maltodextrins were first produced between 1967 and 1973.[14] Digestion-resistant maltodextrins were developed in the 1990s from studies of starch nutrition, leading to the definition of resistant starch.[15] This was accompanied by the detection of digestion-resistant components in food products and manufacturing methods.[3][15] Some sources typically referred to digestible maltodextrin when describing maltodextrin without further definition of which maltodextrin was used.[2][3]
Maltodextrin can be enzymatically derived from any starch, such ascorn,potato,rice orcassava.[1][4][5] In the United States, this starch is usually corn; in Europe, it is common to usewheat. A food starch is boiled. The resulting paste is treated with a combination of acid and enzymes to produce maltodextrins.[6]
Digestion-resistant maltodextrins are manufactured by a process superficially similar to that for digestible maltodextrins.[3][7] A food starch is exposed to a combination of heat, acid and enzymes before purification.[3][7] Part of the process deliberately resembles human digestion – thus, the result is digestion-resistant by design.[3][7] Neither the food starch source nor the process isstandardized.[citation needed]
A step in one method of preparing digestion-resistant maltodextrins isroasting the plant starch in acid conditions.[3] The process breaks the starch molecules into small units, which then recombine with different, more digestion-resistant bonds.[3][7] This is called pyrodextrinization and is used in the form of resistant maltodextrin by the FDA. This type is also considered GRAS in the US, according to the manufacturer.[16]
Enzymes can be used to break starches apart as an alternative to roasting.[7] The EFSA adopts a wider definition of "resistant maltodextrin" encompassing pyrolysis and enzymatic treatment.[17] This type is known as "resistant dextrin" in the GRAS notice.[16]
A list of 14 preparation methods included three to four different methods, includingmicrowave heating.[7] Similar methods differed in detail, possibly because methods are optimized for the plant starch source.[7] One study provided a detailed description of a laboratory method for producing digestion-resistant maltodextrins, combining several of the listed preparation methods.[11]
A 2023 review found that use of different starch sources and different manufacturing techniques may produce digestion-resistant maltodextrins with varied properties, concluding that manufacturing methods for digestion-resistant maltodextrin lacked standardization.[7] Another 2023 review of methods examined digestion-resistant maltodextrins from three different starch sources (potato, cassava, andsweet potato) using identical manufacturing techniques.[11] The resulting digestion-resistant maltodextrins were measured to have small physical and chemical differences, such as in formation of dextrin crystals and surfaceporosity, digestion resistance (80-85%), thermal stabilities, solubility, and formation of pastes.[11] The significance of such differences to the quality of processed foods and health is unknown. A third 2023 study showed maltodextrin digestion rates to be a function ofmolecular structure.[18]
In the European Union, wheat-derived maltodextrin is exempt from wheat allergen labeling, as set out in Annex II ofEC Regulation No 1169/2011.[19] In the United States, however, it is not exempt from allergen declaration per theFood Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, and its effect on a voluntary gluten-free claim must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis per the applicable FDA policy.[6]
Maltodextrin has varied applications for food and beverage processing, includingmedical food,baby food, hospital food, and sports supplement products.[6] It is also used as a substitute forlactose.[6]
Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture andmouthfeel of food and beverage products, such as potato chips and "light" peanut butter to reduce the fat content.[6] It is an effectiveflavorant, bulking agent, andsugar substitute.[6]
Maltodextrin is easily digestible and can provide a quick source of food energy.[6] Due to its rapid absorption, maltodextrin is used by athletes as an ingredient in sports drinks or recovery supplements to replenish glycogen stores and enhance performance during prolonged exercise.[20] It can be taken as adietary supplement in powder form,gel packets,energy drinks[6] or oral rinse.[21][22] Maltodextrin has a highglycemic index of 110, compared to glucose (100) and table sugar (80).[23]
Maltodextrin can be used tomicroencapsulate oil, fats, and other liquid flavorings into a free-flowing powder.[24] This protects the insides from oxidation[25] while also allowinginstant food powders to be made out of these ingredients. Maltodextrin is water-soluble, so it dissolves away to release the contents when water is added.[26][27] The same principle is used to makealcohol powder, which turns into an alcoholic drink when water is added.[28]
In the United States, maltodextrin is considered a safe ingredient (GRAS) for food manufacturing.[5]
Digestion-resistant maltodextrin is included among other sources asfunctional fiber, meaning its use in foods may provide improved function of the gastrointestinal system.[12] The lowmolecular weight, low viscosity, high water solubility, and resistance to enzymatic activity allow digestion-resistant maltodextrin to avoid digestion in thegastrointestinal tract.[7][11] Such properties may be advantageous to add digestion-resistant maltodextrin as a source of fermentable dietary fiber in food manufacturing, while maintaining the sensory qualities of processed foods.[7][11]
Digestion-resistant maltodextrins, as prebiotic dietary fiber, are additives used in processed foods primarily as bulking agents or with the intent to confer a health effect.[7] The characteristics of digestion-resistant maltodextrins allow them to be added to diverse kinds of food products, such as beverages, dairy products, and desserts.[7][11]
They are also relatively low-calorie, colorless, odorless and tasteless.[7] They are nontoxic, chemically stable, and nonreactive with other food ingredients over the range of temperatures required for food preparation and storage.[7][9]
In Europe, the United States, and Canada, industrial digestion-resistant maltodextrin is recognized as a safe ingredient for food manufacturing.[7][13][29][30]
Due to its liberation of glucose molecules when digested, maltodextrin can cause a rapid increase inblood sugar levels when consumed in large quantities, especially for individuals with diabetes orinsulin resistance.[6] As maltodextrin is quickly digested and absorbed, excessive consumption may contribute to weight gain, impaired insulin sensitivity, and elevatedblood lipids, if not balanced with an appropriate lifestyle or diet.[6]
Digestion-resistant maltodextrin is a fermentable dietary fiber under research for its potential to lower the risk ofhypoglycemia, obesity, and associated disorders ofmetabolic syndrome.[7][9] While traversing the colon, digestion-resistant maltodextrin is a substrate for producing short-chain fatty acids – the main energy source of cells lining the colon, thereby contributing to health of the gastrointestinal system.[7][10][11][12][13][30] Consumption of foods containing digestion-resistant maltodextrin increases the frequency and volume ofbowel movements, potentially relievingconstipation.[31]
Reviews have concluded that digestion-resistant maltodextrin is classified as atype 5 resistant starch (RS5), a prebiotic dietary fiber having properties that may improve management of diabetes and other disorders of metabolic syndrome.[9][32] Consumption of food or beverage products containing fermentable dietary fibers, such as digestion-resistant maltodextrin, may cause abdominal discomfort, bloating, andflatulence.[12]
In 2014, a scientific panel for theEuropean Food Safety Authority concluded that manufactured foods containing a commercial digestion-resistant dextrin were eligible for ahealth claim of reducing post-mealblood glucose levels.[29]
In 2017,Health Canada included digestion-resistant maltodextrin among manufactured sources of dietary fiber having desirablephysiological effects eligible for product labeling.[30]
In 2018, the United States FDA issued an industry guidance document stating that foods made with digestion-resistant maltodextrin could be advertised as providing a health benefit from fermentable dietary fiber.[13][33]
Maltodextrin is used to coat pills and tablets, and to formulate powders, in the manufacturing ofprescription drugs and dietary supplement products.[6] It is also used as a horticulturalinsecticide both in the field and in greenhouses.[34][35] Having no biochemical action, its efficacy is based upon spraying a dilute solution upon the pest insects, whereupon the solution dries, blocks insectspiracles, and causes death byasphyxiation.[34]
According to the product's website, Fibersol®-2 meets the requirements for the GRAS status of maltodextrin as prescribed under 21 CFR §184.1444 [...] The FDA has issued a "no questions" response to a GRAS notice submitted for the use ofresistant dextrin (Nutriose® 6 and Nutriose® 10) [...] Nutriose [...] are [...] produced using a highly controlled process of starch dextrinization followed by enzymatic treatment [...] Other digestion-resistant carbohydrate polymers (e.g., resistant maltodextrin marketed as Fibersol®-2, and resistant dextrin marketed as Nutriose® 6 and Nutriose® 10) that are obtained from the pyrodextrinization of starch, which converts a portion of the naturally occurring α-1,4- and α-1,6-glycosidic linkages to a random mixture of α- and β- 1,2-,1,3-, 1,4- and 1,6- glycosidic linkages, are also marketed for use in the U.S. as food ingredients.
Resistant maltodextrin is produced by pyrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis of corn starch and is indigestible in the small intestine
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