Maltodextrin is creamy-white, hygroscopic or moisture absorbing and spray drying powder. Commonly used as food additive and sweetener, maltodextrin is a member of the dextrin. Maltodextrin is a compound of polysaccharide and hence, it is a long chain carbohydrate. Maltodextrin is produced by the process of partial hydrolysis of starch. It is one of the rapidly digestible glucose and has a moderately sweet (almost bland) taste. Since it is obtained from starch hydrolysis, it can be derived from a variety of natural sources of starch. Some of the most common food sources that are used for producing maltodextrin are corn, potatoes, wheat, rice, etc. When maltodextrin is derived from organically grown products, it is called organic maltodextrin. Since there are least chances of contamination involved in its preparation process, organic type of maltodextrin is considered as the best source of maltodextrin.

 maltodextrin which is generally available on the market is derived from several organic sources of starch like potato, corn, rice and other organic sources of starch like cassava. Most of maltodextrin which is present in the US is derived from corn, while in UK, organic wheat maltodextrin is the most popular option. Belonging to the rapidly digestible group of carbohydrates, maltodextrin creates least number of health related issues as compared to its counterparts. Secondly, calorie count of maltodextrin is extremely low (1 gm = 4 calories). It is the biggest reason why maltodextrin has numerous applications in varied fields. For instance, as a texturizer, crystallization inhibitor, thickening agent, sweetener, etc.