Maltodextrin is a food ingredient made from starch. It is used as a flavor carrier and to improve thickness, texture, body, and taste of food products. It is a flavorless, relatively nonsweet, non-sticky, white powder.

It is produced from starch by partial hydrolysis and is usually found as a white hygroscopicspray-dried powder. Maltodextrin is easily digestible, being absorbed as rapidly as glucose and might be either moderately sweet or alm flavorless (depending on the degree of polymerisation).

It is commonly used for the production of soft drinks and candy. It can also be found as an ingredient in a variety of other processed foods.

In edible products, this powder can help by:

• thickening foods or liquids to help bind the ingredients together
• improving texture or flavor
• helping to preserve foods and increase their shelf life
• replacing sugar or fat in low-calorie, processed foods

Maltodextrin has no nutritional value. However, it is a very easy-to-digest carbohydrate and can provide energy rapidly. Due to this, manufacturers add this powder to many sports drinks and snacks.

Maltodextrin is used as a horticultural insecticide both in the field and in greenhouses. It has no physiological or biochemical action. Its efficacy is based upon spraying a 50% solution upon the pest insects whereupon the solution dries, blocks the insects’ spiracles and causes death by asphyxiation.

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