Sugars & Sweeteners
Maltodextrin DE18
Maltodextrin DE18 is a spray-dried, low-sweetness starch hydrolysate (dextrose equivalent 18) used in gelato and sorbet as a bulking solid that raises total solids and body with almost no sweetness and about a third of sucrose's freezing point depression.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 95% |
| Water | 5% |
| Sugars | 95% |
| Fat | 0% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 0% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 12 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 32.5 |
Typical use: 1-5% of the mix (commonly 2-4%)
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Maltodextrin DE18 is a low-POD, moderate-PAC solid: on a dry basis PAC is about 1.9 times the DE and POD about 0.7 times the DE, so DE 18 gives roughly POD 12.6 and PAC 34 per 100 g of dry saccharide, which is POD 12 and PAC 32.5 for the 95%-solids powder. Use it to add total solids, structure and a fuller mouthfeel while spending very little sweetness and only a third of sucrose's anti-freezing power per gram, which is the opposite of dextrose or fructose. It is especially useful in sorbets and low-fat or sugar-reduced gelato where you need body and reduced iciness but cannot afford the softness that high-PAC sugars cause. Because DE18 has more reducing groups than very low-DE grades, avoid overdosing in recipes that undergo browning or long holding.
Origin & background
Maltodextrins are produced by controlled partial hydrolysis of food starch (corn, wheat, tapioca or potato). By regulatory definition (US FDA 21 CFR 184.1444 and Codex), a maltodextrin is a purified starch hydrolysate with a dextrose equivalent below 20; products at DE 20 or above are classified as glucose (corn) syrup solids. DE18 sits at the sweeter, more soluble end of that maltodextrin range.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Dairy Science and Food Technology, 'Ice cream hardness': freezing point depression factor = molecular weight of sucrose / mean molecular weight of the sweetener; 'Maltodextrin 18 DE | 1000 | 0.34', i.e. PAC 34 on a dry basis: https://www.dairyscience.info/cheese-dairy/ice-cream/228-ice-cream-hardness.html
- Ice Ice Daddy, sugar table: 'Maltodestrina 18 DE | 21 | 34' on the same dry basis that gives dextrose 70 / 190, and the rule 'the higher the DE, the higher the PAC and the POD': https://www.iceicedaddy.com/en/sugar_expert.php
- Gelato per Passione, 'Gli zuccheri nel gelato': publishes the arithmetic, 'Pac: 100*19%*190%*95 = 34,29' for the neighbouring DE 19 grade: https://www.gelatoperpassione.it/gli-zuccheri-nel-gelato/
- Rong Y. et al., 'Determination of Dextrose Equivalent Value and Number Average Molecular Weight of Maltodextrin by Osmometry', Journal of Food Science 2009: Mn = 18016 / DE, the relation behind PAC (dry) = 1.9 x DE: https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2008.00993.x
- Melbourne Food Depot, maltodextrin powder DE18 product sheet (about 95% solids): https://www.melbournefooddepot.com/buy/maltodextrin-powder-de18-7kg/F00871
- AHA Biochem, food grade maltodextrin DE 18-20 specification: https://www.ahabiochem.com/showroom/food-grade-maltodextrin-powder-de-18-20.html
- Biolla Chemicals, maltodextrin DE19 specification (moisture, ash and carbohydrate figures): https://biollachemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/biolla-MaltodextrinDE19-Spezification.pdf
- Nutrients Review, 'Maltodextrins' (definition by dextrose equivalent below 20; sweetness rises with DE): https://www.nutrientsreview.com/carbs/polysaccharides-maltodextrins.html
- icecreamcalc.com, 'How is PAC and POD calculated': https://icecreamcalc.com/2023/08/22/how-is-pac-and-pod-calculated/