Maltodextrin is a short-chain carbohydrate produced by partially hydrolyzing starch — usually corn, though rice and potato are also used. It is cheap, soluble, neutral in taste, and mildly sweet, which is why food manufacturers have used it for decades in processed foods. Inside infant formula, maltodextrin is either the primary carbohydrate (replacing lactose entirely) or a secondary one (reducing the lactose percentage). The regulatory posture toward maltodextrin is where EU and US infant formula laws diverge most sharply, and it is one of the starkest ingredient differences parents notice when reading a European label for the first time.
What maltodextrin is
Chemically, maltodextrin is a glucose polymer, chains of 3 to 17 glucose units linked by α-1,4 and α-1,6 glycosidic bonds. When manufacturers quote a dextrose equivalent (DE) between 3 and 20, that is maltodextrin; above 20 it becomes corn syrup; below 3 it is technically a modified starch. In the infant gut, α-amylase and brush-border enzymes break those bonds into free glucose, which is absorbed rapidly, faster than lactose, which needs the brush-border enzyme lactase to release glucose and galactose separately.
Maltodextrin is naturally gluten-free regardless of source, and it has been generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA for food use for decades. The questions in infant feeding are not about safety at typical exposure, but about appropriateness as the primary carbohydrate for babies whose digestive systems are calibrated to lactose from birth.
Why the EU restricts maltodextrin as a primary carb
EU Commission Delegated Regulation 2016/127 Article 5.1 specifies that lactose or whey must be the predominant source of carbohydrate in standard infant formula unless a medical justification exists for substituting it. The regulator's reasoning, drawn from European Food Safety Authority scientific opinions on infant formula composition, is that lactose matches the breastfeeding baseline in terms of both absorption kinetics and downstream effects on the gut microbiome. Glucose polymers like maltodextrin change both, faster glucose release and altered fermentation profile in the colon.
Maltodextrin is permitted in EU infant formula, but only as a minor ingredient or in specialty formulas (anti-reflux, hypoallergenic) where its thickening and digestibility properties justify its use. A compliant EU Stage 1 formula will not list maltodextrin in its top three ingredients.
How US regulation differs
FDA 21 CFR Part 107 regulates US infant formula but does not specify a required carbohydrate source. The nutrient minimums and maximums are defined, but the choice of sugar, starch, or syrup is left to the manufacturer. This regulatory gap is why several US formulas — Enfamil Gentlease, Similac Total Comfort, Similac Sensitive, ProSobee, Nutramigen among others, list corn syrup solids or maltodextrin as the primary carbohydrate. The practice is legal, widely used, and has been stable since the 1990s.
The cross-brand list of US formulas using maltodextrin as a primary or secondary carb lives on the no-maltodextrin filter — the inverse filter shows which formulas avoid it.
When maltodextrin makes sense (and when it does not)
Legitimate reasons to use maltodextrin:
- Anti-reflux formulas, maltodextrin or starch thickens the prepared bottle, slowing stomach emptying and reducing reflux episodes. HiPP AR uses a small amount for this purpose while keeping lactose as the primary carb.
- Hypoallergenic / extensively hydrolyzed formulas, the hydrolysis process breaks down milk proteins but often strips lactose; maltodextrin or glucose syrup replaces it. Nutramigen and Alimentum are examples.
- Gentle / sensitive variants, brands market reduced-lactose formulas for perceived tummy comfort. The evidence for this benefit in non-diagnosed babies is weak; the infant lactose intolerance explainer addresses this directly.
Reasons that are not medically justified but occur in the US market:
- Cost engineering, maltodextrin and corn syrup solids are cheaper than lactose.
- Formulation legacy, brands that moved away from lactose in the 1990s and never revisited.
- Shelf-life and mixability, maltodextrin dissolves faster than lactose in cool water, which matters for powdered-formula marketing but not for infant outcomes.
What the research actually says
Peer-reviewed work on maltodextrin in infant formula is modest compared to the research on lactose. Two concerns appear repeatedly:
- Glycemic response. Maltodextrin has a higher glycemic index than lactose, which means faster blood-glucose spikes. In adults this correlates with metabolic outcomes; in infants the clinical significance is debated but the concern is biologically plausible.
- Gut microbiome. Lactose preferentially feeds Bifidobacterium species, which dominate the healthy breastfed infant's gut. Maltodextrin is fermented differently and may favor a more diverse but less Bifidobacterium-dominated flora. Whether this matters long-term is an active research question.
No major pediatric body has called for removing maltodextrin from all infant formulas. The AAP's standard guidance is that any FDA-registered infant formula is safe and adequate; the question of which formula is optimal is left to parents and pediatricians.
How parents use this information
A parent shopping for formula who wants to match the breastfeeding baseline as closely as possible will look for lactose as the primary carbohydrate with no added maltodextrin or corn syrup solids. Every compliant EU organic Stage 1 formula meets that bar; a handful of US brands voluntarily do too (Bobbie is the most prominent). A parent whose pediatrician has recommended a thickened formula for reflux, or a hydrolyzed formula for allergy, will likely encounter maltodextrin in the ingredient list, and that is a legitimate use.
The Infant Formula Atlas filter for no-maltodextrin shows every SKU in our database whose primary and secondary carbs are both maltodextrin- free, with the verified date next to each entry.
Frequently asked questions
What is maltodextrin made from?
Is maltodextrin worse than corn syrup solids?
Why is maltodextrin in some hypoallergenic formulas?
Can babies digest maltodextrin properly?
Which formulas avoid maltodextrin entirely?
Is maltodextrin GMO?
Primary sources
- EU Commission Delegated Regulation 2016/127: Article 5.1 on carbohydrate composition. eur-lex.europa.eu
- FDA 21 CFR Part 107. US infant formula regulation. ecfr.gov
- Almeida LB et al. Safety of dietary carbohydrates in infant formula. Review of glycemic and microbiome effects, Nutrients 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29311388
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific opinion on the essential composition of infant and follow-on formulae, EFSA Journal 2014. efsa.europa.eu
Related reading
- Brands and comparisons where carbohydrate composition matters, Bobbie brand hub (no corn-syrup-solids positioning), HiPP vs Bobbie (both lactose-primary, no maltodextrin), Similac Pro-Advance vs Enfamil NeuroPro (how corn-syrup-solids appear in sensitive variants)
- How to read a formula label
- EU Regulation 2016/127 overview
This site provides research and comparisons, not medical advice. Consult your pediatrician before changing your baby's formula.