Nonsweet nutritive food additive used as a reduced calorie fat replacement. Also used as a stabiliser, thickener and encapsulating agent in food products Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide that is used as a food additive. It is hydrolysate produced from starch and is usually found as a creamy-white hygroscopic spraydried powder. Maltodextrin is easily digestible, being absorbed as rapidly as glucose, and might be either moderately sweet or almost flavorless.