Maltodextrin - Is it safe for a GFCF diet?
November 21st, 2007I am often asked if maltodextrin gluten free. Well the answer is both yes and no. Maltodextrin is food additive often used to enhance flavors and textures that is made from starch. The problem is that it can be made from any starch. If the maltodextrin is produced in the United States it is most often made from either corn or potato. However, if the it has been produced in Europe it is likely made from wheat. This can be a problem for any one on a gluten free diet as maltodextrin that is derived from wheat can contain trace amounts of gluten. If you are following the gfcf diet for Autism, it’s your call if you want to chance it or not. If you have celiac disease you may want to be a bit more careful as I know gluten can cause you medical problems.
Maltodextrin does not contain malt as many believe. Malt is derived from wheat or barley and does contain gluten. If you are avoiding gluten in your diet you should avoid any item containing malt.
How do you know for sure what type of starch the maltodextrin is made from? There are a few things you can do. First if the package is marked gluten free it is likely made from corn or starch. This is especially true if the manufacturer is in the United States. The only way to know for sure is to contact the manufacturer and ask them.
Some don’t see a need to be as picky about traces of gluten because they see little to no change in their child. If this is the case with your childs diet maltodextrin shouldn’t be a problem you will have to worry with. On the other hand if your child is extremely sensitive to gluten, if you feel that you must keep all traces of gluten and casein from your diet or you suffer from celiac disease you may want to be more careful as the what starch was used to produce the maltodextrin.