Product Spotlight: Maltodextrin

Bell Chem sells a wide variety of products, but not all are as versatile and valuable to food and drink processors as maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate food additive produced from corn, potato, rice, or wheat starch. Maltodextrin is generally sold in powder form and varies in taste from flavorless to sweet. The Tampa food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, stocks maltodextrin for its myriad uses, including those listed below.

Processed foods, soft drinks, soups, gravies, and candy all use maltodextrin as a thickener or filler to increase the volume without altering the taste. It also acts as a preservative to extend the shelf life of products.

Beer breweries find that maltodextrin increases the specific gravity of the beer, reduces the dryness of the drink, improves the “mouthfeel” of beer, and enhances beer’s head retention. Because yeast cannot ferment it, maltodextrin will not increase beer’s alcohol content.

When maltodextrin is added to light peanut butter, it retains the well-loved creamy texture while reducing fat content by over 20%.

As a thickener, maltodextrin is added to infant formula, most sugar substitutes such as Splenda and aspartame, and other food products to increase the volume of the product.

The combination of maltodextrin and corn syrup remarkably sweetens products to the same level as using table sugar. Products that require thickening as well as sweetening, such as those listed above, benefit from the addition of maltodextrin.

Pharmaceutical-quality maltodextrin is a free-flowing, fine-grained thickener and direct compression binder added to lozenges, tablets, and nutritional products.

The ability to perform several functions simultaneously gives maltodextrin an edge over other ingredients and additives. Maltodextrin is an extremely versatile product used in food and drink processing and can help processors achieve a variety of goals ranging from sweetening to thickening.

Give the Tampa food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, a call today at 407-339-2355 (BELL) or reach out to us through our online form. Our representatives would love to speak with you concerning Maltodextrin or any of our other food ingredients and products that we offer. Additionally, visit our blog to learn more about other Bell Chem products and services.