Corn an Wheat Processing products

Corn Processing: Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is a creamy white hygroscopic powder, moderately sweet in taste.  It is produced by partial hydrolysis of starch by a typical total enzyme process using a bacterial alphaamylase followed by refining and spray-drying to a moisture level of 3% to 5%.  Maltodextrin is a mixture of glucose, maltose, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.

What is Maltodextrin used for?

Infant foods 
Maltodextrin is the simplest form of sugar, has a soft mouthfeel and is easily digested.  This property makes its use extensive in baby foods, feed supplements, geriatric foods and foods for convalescents.  It is also used as a carrying and dispersing agent for flavours and is ideally suited for encapsulation.

Beverages 
Maltodextrin is popular as a flavouring, bodying and drying agent in chocolate drinks, flavour powders, special diets, citrus powders and coffee powders, besides others.  It is also used to replace a portion of protein whipping agent in aerated beverages. Instant foods

For instant foods, maltodextrin is the perfect carrying agent due to its free flexibility, open structure, dispersibility in cold water and ability to maintain clarity and eye appeal.  It is, therefore, extensively used as a bodying and bulking agent in puddings, soups and frozen desserts.

Bakery products 
Due to the presence of higher molecular weight saccharides, maltodextrin lends mouth feel and body to fruit products, granola bars, cream type fillings, icings and cakes.  It is also used as a moisture-holding agent in breads, pastries and meats. Food industry

Maltodextrin is used in soup powders, concentrates and spices, spice flavour blends, cheese sauces, cream  sauces, pizza sauces and salad dressings as a bodying agent, flavour enhancer, oxygen barrier, colour controller, stabilising and viscosity builder and as a spray-drying agent.

Dairy 
Maltodextrin is used extensively in coffee whiteners, imitation sour creams, imitation cheeses and whipped toppings. Confectionery

It is perfect for candy coating and soft-centre candies, for frosting and glazing, for nut and snack coating, in lozenges and for binding, plasticizing and crystal inhibition.  In hard candies, it improves the hygroscopic characteristics.

Pharmaceuticals
Maltodextrin is used in a variety of pharmacy products. It is used in special diets, isotonic drinks, alkalizes, etc., as a nutritional supplement, for binding and density control and control of dissolving rate.  It is also used in tableting, in combination with dextrin as a direct compressible vehicle. 

Maltodextrin is used as a moisture holding agent in breads and meats for preparing non-hygroscopic fondants and as a dispersing agent in instant drink concentrates.

Sl.No	Parameters	Unit	Standard Specifications
1	Description	-	White to slightly cream powder
2	Reconstitution	-	Limpid to slightly opalescent without sediment – up to 40% in hot water
3	Enzymatic activity	-	Absent – alpha amylase
4	Moisture	%	5 max
5	PH	-	4-7
6	Dry substance	%	95
7	Dextrose equivalent	%	12-22
8	Ash	%	0.5 max
9	Starch	%	Negative – iodine test
10	Bulk density	g/cc	0.3 – 0.5
11	Microbial limits
a	Total bacterial count	CFU/g	10,000
b	Salmonella	CFU/g	Nil
c	E.coli	CFU/g	Nil
12	Solubility	%	98 min

Note: Standard DE value is DE 8-10 , DE 10- 15 , DE 15 -20 . DE 30.

Packing 
Maltodextrin is supplied in attractive 25kg HDPE bags. These bags are either LDPE laminated or have an additional superior LDPE liner. To meet customers’ requirements, it can also be provided in polypropylene and kraft paper packaging.

Storage 
Maltodextrin should be stored in a cool, dry environment, away from sunlight.