Talk:Maltodextrin/Archive 1

Side Effects
There is nothing is this article about why the food industry is using this additive. I've read articles about how it causes people to crave more junk food and less healthy food. There should be something added to this article about negative effects of additives like this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.104.62.3 (talk) 15:43, 2012 January 24 (UTC)

Production and byproducts
Can somebody explain HOW maltodextrin is derived from starch in commercial production? Eeno11 (talk) 08:18, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

I've read that maltodextrin can be created relatively easily in "most labs". Depending on speed, temperatures, equipment, etc. certain amounts of MSG can be created and be left in the mixture, or even if not, people who are sensitive to MSG are also sensitive to maltodextrin. I may be adding a section about the MSG/food-sensitivity link as I come across more info.

Do we have any food-chemists who might have more info about the link between the two substances? Perhaps they share some known metabolites which are causing the problem? Any info here would be good. Koyae (talk) 18:06, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

In attempting to find better citations I came across this info..."Low amounts of residual gluten and peptides were found by mass spectrometry and high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis in wheat starch maltodextrins (0.3-1.4 mg/kg)" from the EFSA Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Dietetic products, nutrition and allergies (NDA) related to a notification from AAC on wheat-based maltodextrins pursuant to Article 6, paragraph 11 of Directive 2000/13/EC. The article went on to say based on clinical studies, wheat based maltodextrin is unlikely to cause adverse reactions in people with coeliac disease if the gluten values are kept within standard gluten-free levels. They also say those low measurements should make consumption ok for wheat allergic individuals too. I'm not a chemist, food scientist, or nutritionist. But wondering if a rewording to indicate "wheat based maltodextrin may be relatively gluten-free and generally considered safe for use by gluten intolerant individuals " would be appropriate? Citing the EFSA opinion piece as reference. Chimp1cards (talk) 04:00, 19 January 2014 (UTC)

Incorrect Picture
The illustration shows an alpha-1,4-D-Idose monomer, not a D-Glucose monomer. Reference internal link: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:D-Idose_Haworth.svg  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.171.167.121 (talk) 21:14, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

Food additive?
Why is it added to food? Bus stop (talk) 20:03, 20 August 2009 (UTC)

I was reading about brewing and came across this: which reads:

Dextrin Malt 3 L Also known as American Carapils, this malt is used sparingly and contributes little color but enhances the mouthfeel and perceived body of the beer. A common amount for a five gallon batch is 1/2 lb. Dextrin malt has no diastatic power. It must be mashed; if steeped it will contribute a lot of unconverted starch and cause starch haze.

I didn't really like "food additive" either, I was going to edit the main page, but thought I'd leave it to someone who knows more what they're doing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.103.115.198 (talk) 15:53, 21 November 2009 (UTC)


 * Dextrin malt doesn't really have anything to do with maltodextrin. Based on the name, dextrin malt presumably contains dextrins, but dextrin malt is an end product in itself and not a food additive or a source for maltodextrin. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.254.31.36 (talk) 19:55, 13 May 2010 (UTC)

I am terrible at editting but I have noticed that there is a duplicated paragraph on this page, it starts with "Maltodextrin can be enzymatically derived from any starch." and is repeated again underneath. Perhaps somebody can edit it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Smiler03 (talk • contribs) 01:42, 24 July 2010 (UTC)

I'm currently working on a cook book, and I plan to test out a recipe for a duck fat powder to be tossed over popcorn that I found. The recipe calls for something called tapioca maltodextrin, and it's apparently used a great in in the Modernists' style of cooking (it's basically a bunch of high tech stuff that aims to recreate well-known food in completely different forms. When you hear about restaurants using science equipments like liquid nitrogen and stuff, it's usually Modernist cooking) to turn fats into powder. I don't exactly know if this tapioca maltodextrin is the same as the maltodextrin mentioned in this article, but it seems it would be the case (or at least, it's specifically, maltodextrin made from tapioca).16:58, 25 May 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by MonkeysOnThePatio (talk • contribs)

Confusing Illustration and Molecular Formula
Doesn't maltodextrin have a hydrogen atom at either end of the polysaccharide chain? Therefore its molecular formula would be C6nH(10n+2)O(5n+1).

The illustration shows six oxygen atoms within the brackets. Is this meant to imply there is a chain of two oxygens between each five-carbon-one-oxygen ring? In this case, the molecular formula would be C6nH(10n+2)O(6n+1). To change the illustration to match the molecular formula in the first paragraph, the left bracket could be moved to the right of the oxygen, leaving a hydroxyl group to the left of the chain and a hydrogen to the right.

Regrettably, I have no chemical reference to verify which formula is correct.

Msramming (talk) 14:47, 6 November 2009 (UTC)
 * You're right. The image did not correctly depict the chemical structure.  I have modified it to make the needed correction.  The way you have written the molecular formula is probably better also, so I have made that change as well.  Thank you for catching the errors and reporting them here.  -- Ed (Edgar181) 17:59, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Why is it added to artificial sweeteners?
I came to this article looking for information about why maltodextrin is added to artificial sweeteners such as Splenda (I note with interest that consumers can't buy pure sucralose, we can only the form that has been bulked up with maltodextrin).

Yes, I know maltodextrin is used as a bulking agent because sucralose is so concentrated, but I thought the whole point of Splenda is to serve as a sweetener that's safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics. How can it be safe when it contains maltodextrin, which is, according to this article "absorbed rapidly as glucose", and therefore has a high glycemic index, making it not suitable for people sensitive to sugars? ~Amatulić (talk) 06:06, 14 February 2010 (UTC)


 * Maybe the amount of Splenda you add is smaller than the amount of sugar you would add? I think it's fairly common to mix sugar into things as a dispersant so that they dissolve more easily in water, rather than forming clumps (e.g. J-Lube is 75% sugar). Maybe that's the function maltodextrin serves in Splenda? Kragen Javier Sitaker (talk) 17:11, 2 July 2010 (UTC)

I have a problem here with this because from my understanding Sucralose is a chemical and is going to help cause diabetes and other issues. On top of that I recently learned what this Maltodextrin is and yes it is going to spike a diabetics glucose. What makes me upset here is I use a natural safe alternative, Stevia, and just learned that they are mixing it with Maltodextrin which defeats the whole purpose of using Stevia as I am diabetic.I have been using Spring Valley Stevia packets I buy in a box at Walmart in the nutritional supplement department for $6 a box of 100 Packets. Now, thanks to reading this I understand why my blood sugar glucose levels for the last couple years even on medications is still spiked up to 300 and above. When I first started using it I could not find anything on the net on Maltodextrin and now today I find all this info. Who knows how much damage this may have been doing to my health all these years? I feel again betrayed. I have been tricked and the only thing they say on this box is that it is a "excellent natural additive to all kinds of foods and beverages". They say "Stevia All Natural Herb" which is correct. They left out that the Maltodextrin is not natural and is not safe for diabetic which Stevia Extract alone and by itself is safe for diabetics. Where is the class action law suit on this. I want on it. (joehawkins57 at yahoo.com) (HawkNo1 (talk) 08:22, 15 July 2011 (UTC))
 * HawkNo1, there are liquid versions of both sucralose and Stevia available to consumers as well, mostly online; if you want to obtain any sweetener without a destrose, maltodextrin, or sugar filler, it will have to come in its natural liquid form. Your assertion that sucralose causes diabetes is not backed up by any research. However, I seriously doubt that maltodextrin content has seriously damaged your health, given that the amount of glucose by volume in either buffered substitute is about 1/4 of the amount in sugar - unless you ate 4 times as much as before. Don't forget that a diabetic's blood sugar will spike after eating nothing all day, so spiking alone isn't a damnation of anything. Foxyshadis (talk) 04:03, 3 August 2011 (UTC)

Uses of maltodextrin
Perhaps a section on the uses of maltodextrin - ie. why is it used as a food additive?? Silasmellor (talk) 12:44, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

It is also commonly found in energy drinks and energy gels. The benefit of maltodextrin in energy drinks, compared to sugar, is that you can ingest more glucose per hour when drunk as a maltodextrin solution than you can when drinking only a sugar solution like Gatorade. Sugar solutions only provide one glucose molecule per sugar molecule in the solution (sugar, or sucrose, is one glucose molecule connected to one fructose molecule), but a molecule of maltodextrin contains between 3 and 19 glucose molecules all connected together. It doesn't work to just drink more Gatorade because there is a limit to the total amount of water that can be absorbed per hour. Better to dissolve maltodextrin in a given amount of water, than to dissolve sugar in the same amount of water. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.5.218.139 (talk) 05:41, 6 September 2011 (UTC)


 * Please be more detailed. When you say Maldex is 3-19 more glucose, it sounds like it's more concentated = more sugar. Isn't that what glucose is?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.235.147.194 (talk) 03:47, 24 April 2012 (UTC)

Maltodextrin has non-food uses too, which should, IMHO garner a mention. For example, it is used in certain syndet (synthetic detergent) bar formulations and other personal care products. Search for maltodextrin on happi.com for more info. Berfle 07:02, 13 December 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Berfle (talk • contribs)


 * Yes - eg in cough syrups - (medical (non-active thickening agent)? rather than food?) - Rod57 (talk) 16:06, 16 December 2017 (UTC)

Adjunct in Brewing?
Although beginning home brewers using beer kits or extracts often add maltodextrin to their brews as part of commercially sold "brew enhancers" to improve "mouthfeel" this is not done by commercial brewers. I am not aware of any breweries who do this. The author of the comment may be acquainted with home brewing and simply assumed this was common practice. If no citation is provided, the reference to brewing could be removed, or restricted to home brew only. --MichaelGG (talk) 00:32, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Celiac Issues (corn & wheat alergies)
I have a problem with this article. Many in my Family were found to be Celiac, and as soon as I saw the Gluten Free Foods, I knew right away they were wrong for giving them to my Family because I have severe adverse reactions to those things which raise my AST and ALT and ANA Levels. Though most compounds produced from Maize bust me out in Rashes, it is most likely Maltodextrin from both Maize and Wheat, that causes our Immune System to attack the Mucosa throughout our entire body, forming Colon and Sinus Polyps and Digestive Track and even Kidney Bleeding, and caused one of my Uncles to loose both Kidneys. Maize Corn and Wheat are the worst of the Grains for me, and Sugar Alcohols are the worst Compound for me, and the only other things that I know of that raise my AST and ALT and ANA Levels are certain Strains of Streptococcal Bacteria that produce a similar Oligosaccharide - Cellodextrin. But on top of being Celiac, most of us have Fructose Intolerance also. JosephLoegering (talk) 20:54, 6 August 2011 (UTC)

Health side effects
There is currently no research proving harmful side-effects of maltodextrin ingestion, although reports of stomach pain, dyspepsia, bloating, nausea, diarrhoea and flatulence are rife on the internet. I've searched Pubmed for studies, but apart from a study linking a related chemical, icodextrin, to allergic and hypersensitivity reactions, I found nothing. If you Google "maltodextrin intolerance" or "maltodextrin stomach pain" or "maltodextrin bloating" you'll be overwhelmed with hits. There are no research dollars to investigate this, unfortunately. Making maltodextrin is a profitable business and who benefits from exposing the problems? So please keep an eye out for press articles or new research, because this is a real phenomenon.  Jabbsworth  10:18, 4 October 2011 (UTC)

Maltodextrin: Speculated Possible Reasons for Its Development and Addition to Foods
i became aware of Maltodextrin about 8 months ago and it has been on my radar ever since. Over the past 3 years i have been progressively refining my diet and eliminating foods with additives. i am vegan -- no sugar, no gluten, no intoxicants (except green tea). i have been aware of the public concern over food containing MSG for many years, as have many people and i am aware of my own subjective reactions and consequences to its presence in foods i may inadvertently consume. However, there has been little research done on the effects of MSG that is published in commonly available sources yet there is a strain of laboratory rats called: "MSG Treated" used in scientific studies relating to obesity. Rats will not naturally overeat and need to be chemically induced to do so. You may also know of the proverbial situation of eating take out/take away "Chinese Food" and feeling hunger pangs a half hour later. Maybe too you've heard advertising slogans along the lines of "bet you can't eat just one".

MSG has now entered common knowledge/popular culture with a negative connotation. MSG is a synthesized chemical and there is common awareness and concern over the safety of such additives (although it is transitory if not periodically reinforced by the media).

Little information is also publicly available on Maltodextrin, despite the fact that some degree of R & D must have gone into its genesis. i don't believe it is a proprietary product warranting such apparent secrecy. Publicly, the production of Maltodextrin is explained as simply starting with a common starch food and treating it -- thus it is marketed as simply corn or wheat that has been just "changed" (with the inference that it is then unlike a synthesized chemical like MSG) and is often listed as ie: "Wheat Maltodextrin" not just "Maltodextrin" under Ingredients despite the fact that it would seem that if it has no protein constituents to cause the allergic reactions characteristic of its raw material, it would be more advantageous to leave the "Wheat" part out. It seems it is deemed more advantageous to promote the non-synthesized nature of Maltodextrin by identifying it by the plant from which it is derived. In previous eras MSG was known as "Meat Tenderizer" and even shelved in the spice/herb section of supermarkets and many people related to it as being a natural spice.

As can be witnessed by previous entries on this page, there is almost no industry justification for the addition of Maltodextrin to foods and previous speculations for its possible use seem contradictory. Similarities to MSG both in chemical structure and in observed allergic reactions are noted.

i believe serious effort is undertaken to contain the negative connotations of additives in common knowledge. The branded processed food industry is very competitive as is the fast food industry. Food engineering is a secretive undertaking, yet seen as a highly essential practice for market success and is prevalent with all processed foods, not just "junk food". There appears to be no desire for government regulation on the admissible amounts of MSG or Maltodextrin and in academic circles they are of "low importance" warranting no in depth research, yet obesity continues to be one of the most serious health issues of our modern culture. Wisehealing (talk) 04:34, 29 August 2012 (UTC)

Sweetness
The article says that maltodextrin might be either moderately sweet or almost flavorless but there's no further information on why and when these different experiences might occur. Is it to do with the maltodextrin itself, genetic differences in the taster, something else within the context of consumption? 92.25.15.35 (talk) 15:45, 10 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Added "depends on degree of polymerisation" - based on Structure section. - Rod57 (talk) 16:22, 16 December 2017 (UTC)

Use of "Wise Geek dot org" (Wisegeek is not a legitimate source)
The following reference: "What is Maltodextrin? (with pictures)". wisegeek.org. Taken from "wisegeek" is not a legimate source and should be removed.184.163.223.158 (talk) 16:13, 1 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Fixed in revision 863918313. Found a source from the non-profit Nutrition Action, which seems reputable. Thanks! --Krinkle (talk) 23:13, 13 October 2018 (UTC)
 * This source is spam because it is advocacy, WP:SOAP. The article has one author who is not peer-reviewed in the scientific community. We should use rigorous review articles per WP:MEDRS; I made this edit. --Zefr (talk) 00:06, 14 October 2018 (UTC)