Maltodextrin is a white starchy powder commonly added to a variety of packaged foods, including pastries, candies, and beverages, to improve flavor, add thickness, and extend shelf life. It is often clearly stated on food labels.
It has many properties: low sweetness, no off-flavor, easy digestibility, low calorie content, good solubility, low fermentability, excellent bulking properties, low hygroscopicity, strong thickening properties, excellent carrier properties, and stability, making it difficult to deteriorate. It also has a good stabilizing effect on foam in foods and beverages.
Maltodextrin is easily absorbed by the human body, making it particularly suitable as a base ingredient in foods for patients, infants, and children. It contains a high amount of polysaccharides and beneficial trace elements and minerals, such as calcium and iron, which contribute to normal metabolism.
Product Details：
Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate product made from starch (such as corn starch or rice starch) through enzymatic hydrolysis, refining, and drying. It is a white or slightly yellow powder with no off-flavor and a smooth texture. Maltodextrin, produced primarily by controlling the degree of starch hydrolysis, is widely used in the food industry and some non-food sectors due to its low sweetness, easy solubility, excellent stability, thickening properties, and bulking properties.
Applications:
1. Solid Beverages: Soymilk powder, oatmeal, protein powder, milk tea powder
2. Liquid Beverages: Juice, milk beverages, plant-based protein beverages
3. Baked Goods: Cakes, biscuits, bread
4. Confectionery: Hard candies, soft candies, chocolate
5. Dairy Products: Milk powder, yogurt, ice cream
6. Special Dietary Supplements: Infant and Toddler Foods, Patient Nutritional Meals
7. Meat Products/Sauces: Sausages, ketchup, soup sachets
Purpose:
1. Basic Excipient Functions: Serves as a filler and diluent for powdered foods (such as instant powders and health supplements), improving product flow and reducing clumping.
2. Thickening and Stabilizing: Increases the viscosity of liquid/semi-liquid foods (beverages and sauces), prevents separation, and maintains a uniform texture.
3. Flavor and Taste Adjustment: Low sweetness (the lower the DE value, the lighter the flavor), neutralizes overly strong flavors and creates a smoother texture.
4. Cost Control: Offers high cost-effectiveness, can replace some high-cost raw materials (such as sucrose and milk powder), and reduces production costs.
5. Energy Supply: Rapidly digested and absorbed by the body, it provides essential energy for foods (such as sports drinks and meal replacements).
Key Differences Between Maltodextrin MD20 and MD15
Dextrose Equivalent Values(DE) differ, leading to differences in physical properties such as sweetness, viscosity, and hygroscopicity, as well as in their application areas. The details are as follows:
1. Different DE values: According to national standards, the DE value of maltodextrin MD15 is typically between 11% and 16%, while that of MD20 is between 16% and 20%.
2. Different Sweetness: A higher DE value indicates increased sweetness. Maltodextrin MD15 is less sweet, while MD20, due to its higher DE value, has a slightly sweeter taste.
3. Different Viscosity: The higher the DE value of maltodextrin, the lower its viscosity. Therefore, MD15 has a relatively high viscosity, creating an appropriate viscosity in food and serving as a thickener; MD20 has a relatively low viscosity.
4. Different Hygroscopicity: The DE value is positively correlated with hygroscopicity. MD15 is relatively less hygroscopic, less prone to caking due to moisture absorption, and easier to store. MD20 is more hygroscopic and requires careful attention to moisture protection during storage.
5. Slightly different application areas: MD15, due to its moderate viscosity and low sweetness, is often used in products that require viscosity but do not want excessive sweetness, such as beverages and sauces. MD20, due to its good solubility and slightly sweet taste, is more suitable for sports drinks and ready-to-eat meals, dissolving quickly and providing a certain sweetness.
