What are dextrins and why are they used?

Dextrins are carbohydrates made from starch naturally present in vegetables and grains.

As do many other starch-based ingredients, dextrins have useful thickening properties, which means they help bind ingredients together in food and prevent them from dispersing. This is why they are often used in packaged soups, sauces, sweets and baby food.

Dextrins are listed among all the other food ingredients on the product’s label. They provide approximately 4 kcal per gram.

Some dextrins behave like fibres and are resistant to digestion in the small intestine of the human body.