Maltodextrin
maltodextrin, maltodextrina, maltodextrine
What it is
A saccharide polymer made of D-glucose units and produced by partial hydrolysis of starch.
Why BOTIA flags it
Maltodextrin is a polymer of glucose units. WHO's definition of free sugars covers monosaccharides and disaccharides, so maltodextrin falls outside that category. EU nutrition-labelling rules also define "sugars" as mono- and disaccharides, so maltodextrin is not included in the "of which sugars" figure. A product can therefore contain maltodextrin without that number reflecting it.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect maltodextrin when it is declared in the ingredient list.
- Explain that it falls outside WHO's free-sugar definition and the EU nutrition-label definition of sugars.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine the botanical starch source (e.g., corn, wheat, or tapioca) unless explicitly declared.
- Ascertain the glycemic index or the molecular chain length of the specific maltodextrin used.