Maltodextrin,also known as water soluble dextrin or enzymatic dextrin, is a product between starch and starch glucose that is controlled to a low degree hydrolysis. Its English abbreviation is MD. 

It is one of the starch deep processing products with good market prospect, wide application and rapid development of production scale in recent years.

Maltodextrin is obtained by low degree controlled hydrolysis, purification and drying through enzymatic process. It uses various refined starch as raw material, for example, corn starch, cassava starch, wheat starch etc, or raw food with starch,like rice and corn etc.

The main physical characteristic of maltodextrin is relative directly with DE value, so DE represents not only the hydrolysis degree, but also the main parameter of the product. 

The higher hydrolysis degree of the maltodextrin, the greater fall of its dissolved oxygen, sweetness, hygroscopicity, permeability, fermentability, browning reaction and freezing point, while the worse its texture, viscosity, pigment stability, and anti - crystallization. When its DE is between 4% and 6%, its dextrose composes of tetrose or above entirely. Between 9% and 12%, its dextrose composes of high molecular polysaccharide mainly, and less low molecular dextrose. This kind of maltodextrin is not easy to damp, difficult to brown stain without sweetness.Applied in food industry, it can help to improve the food taste and viscosity. Between 13% and 17%, its sweetness is low,not easy to damp, the proportion of reducing sugar is low, so it is difficult to browning, solubility is good,used in food can help to produce appropriate viscosity. Between 18% and 22%,it is a little sweet, with certain hygroscopicity,the proportion of reducing sugar is appropriate, browning reaction can occur, and its solubility is good. Used in food industry, it won’t help to improve viscosity. 

The adhesive property of maltodextrin changes with the degree of hydrolysis,concentration and temperature of starch. When the concentration and temperature remain the same, the lower the DE, the higher the viscosity of the product. If the DE remains the same, the higher the concentration or the lower the temperature, the higher the viscosity of the product. Even though product with the same DE, if production process is different, the allocation state of the glucose should also be different, which cause a change in viscosity. 

The characteristic of maltodextrin is relative directly with hydrolysis rate(DE),DE represents the hydrolysis degree, and it is also the main parameter.