Maltodextrin

carb ingredient

Poor

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

Base score
0.3 (from −1 to 1; higher is better)
Found in
49 products

Products containing maltodextrin

Results reflect the latest label we hold for each product, not a live check of today's recipe. Open a product to see its source and last-checked date.

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.

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.

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How many UK dog foods contain maltodextrin?

49 UK products list maltodextrin as an ingredient in our database. The full list is shown above, sorted by rating.

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.