Vegan. Maltodextrin is produced from plant starch, usually corn, wheat, rice or tapioca, so it is vegan. It is a common bulking agent, thickener and carrier.
Maltodextrin is processed plant starch, a bland filler and bulking agent. Corn, wheat or tapioca in, white powder out, no animal step.
Made fromPlant starch (corn, wheat, tapioca)
Used asBulking agent, thickener, carrier
VerdictVegan
Where it hides
Snacks and processed foods
Sports drinks and supplements
Sweeteners and sauces
Sugar substitutes
What it is
Maltodextrin is a lightly processed starch, a cheap white powder used to bulk, thicken and carry other ingredients.
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The digestible maltodextrins (or simply maltodextrins) are manufactured as white solids derived from chemical processing of plant starches.
Because it starts as plant starch, maltodextrin is vegan. It is nearly everywhere in processed food as a filler and carrier, including as the bulking agent in many powdered sweeteners, and none of that changes its plant origin.
Silicon dioxide (silica, E551)Silicon dioxide is sand, essentially, added to keep powders from clumping. There is nothing animal about a mineral.
InulinInulin is a prebiotic fibre pulled mostly from chicory root. It is plant storage carbohydrate, plain and simple.
Caramel colour (E150)Caramel colour is burnt sugar, more or less, the brown in cola and gravy browning. It is almost always vegan, with a rare footnote about the sugar it starts from.
No. Maltodextrin is made from plant starch such as corn, wheat, rice or tapioca, so it is vegan.
Is maltodextrin gluten-free?
It is usually made from corn, rice or tapioca and is generally considered gluten-free even when from wheat, because processing removes the protein. Certified products are available for those who need certainty.
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