Maltodextrin
"Modified food starch" · "corn syrup solids" · E1400
A white, tasteless powder made from corn, rice, potato, or wheat starch. Used to bulk up powders, thicken sauces, extend shelf life, and improve "mouthfeel" in everything from protein shakes to artificial sweeteners.
Why we flag it
Maltodextrin has a glycemic index of 105 to 136 — meaning it spikes blood sugar faster than pure table sugar (GI 65) or even glucose (GI 100). Because it doesn't taste sweet, it isn't required to be listed under "sugars" on the nutrition label, so it slips into products marketed as "sugar-free," "low-carb," and "keto-friendly" without alerting buyers.
Beyond the blood sugar issue, 2012 and 2014 studies in the journal Gut found that maltodextrin promoted the growth of pathogenic bacteria like E. coli and suppressed beneficial gut bacteria, contributing to inflammation in animal models of Crohn's disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Most maltodextrin is made from genetically modified corn, though that itself isn't a safety concern — the carbohydrate behavior and processing are.
Where you'll find it
Maltodextrin is one of the most common ingredients in packaged food — especially "diet" and protein-focused products:
- Protein powders, protein bars, and meal-replacement shakes
- Powdered "sugar-free" and artificial sweetener packets (the bulk filler)
- Sports drinks, energy gels, and recovery drinks
- Salad dressings, marinades, and sauces
- Instant pudding, instant soup, gravy mixes, bouillon
- Frozen meals, frozen dinners, and microwave entrées
- Chips, crackers, and cereal — especially "low fat" versions
- Infant formula and toddler snacks
What to look for instead
Whole-food carbs deliver the same energy without the blood-sugar whiplash:
- Whole oats, brown rice, sweet potato — slow-digesting carbs in real form
- Date paste or banana as a thickener and sweetener in homemade shakes and bars
- Tapioca starch or arrowroot powder — cleaner thickeners with lower glycemic impact
- Protein powders with just protein — look for short ingredient lists with no maltodextrin, dextrose, or "sugars from other sources"
- Stevia or monk fruit without maltodextrin filler — read the second ingredient on every "sugar-free" sweetener packet
USDA Organic certification permits maltodextrin only when it's made from organic starch, but the clearer signal is a short ingredient list dominated by whole foods.