Maltodextrin is generally used as a thickener or filler to increase the volume of a processed food. It's also a preservative that increases the shelf life of packaged foods. It's inexpensive and easy to produce, so it's useful for thickening products such as instant pudding and gelatins, sauces, and salad dressings.
Maltodextrin is a type of carbohydrate, but it undergoes intense processing. It comes in the form of a white powder from rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch. Its makers first cook it, then add acids or enzymes to break it down some more. The final product is a water-soluble white powder with a neutral taste.
Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide that is used as a food ingredient. It is produced from vegetable starch by partial hydrolysis and is usually found as a white hygroscopic spray-dried powder. Maltodextrin is easily digestible, being absorbed as rapidly as glucose and may be either moderately sweet or almost flavorless.
maltodextrin is a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) food additive. However, if a person eats too many products that contain maltodextrin, their diet is likely to be high in sugar, low in fiber, and full of highly processed foods.