Maltodextrin
carb · base score 0.3 · also listed as maltodextrin
What is it?
Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate (starch/filler) ingredient. Graded poor: cheap, vague or of questionable value, so it drags a product’s score down.
At a glance
- Category
- carb
- Grade
- poor
- Base score
- 0.3 (from −1 to 1; higher is better)
- Found in
- 36 products
- Also listed as
- maltodextrin
Common questions about maltodextrin
Is Maltodextrin good for dogs?
We grade it as a poor ingredient: typically cheap, vague or of questionable nutritional value, so it drags a product’s score down. One poor ingredient does not make a food bad on its own, but a recipe built from several usually scores low.
How many UK dog foods contain maltodextrin?
36 UK products list maltodextrin as an ingredient in our database. The full list is shown below, sorted by rating.
What else is maltodextrin called on labels?
Manufacturers list it under several names: maltodextrin. We match all of these to the same glossary entry when we read a label.
How does Open Dog Food grade maltodextrin?
We grade it poor, our lowest grade, used for cheap, vague or low-value ingredients. Every ingredient is converted to its dry-matter share and scored from our glossary before a recipe gets its 1-100 rating; the full method is on our methodology page.
What is maltodextrin doing in dog food?
Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate made from starch, commonly used as a thickener or binder and to add energy. It appears on UK labels as a carbohydrate ingredient and is highly digestible.
Is maltodextrin the same as sugar in dog food?
Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate made from starch and is not the same as simple sugars, although it is digested fairly quickly. It is usually listed simply as maltodextrin on the label.
