Is Maltodextrin Gluten-Free?

My GI dr has been suggesting a gluten-free diet. However I keep noticing contradictions on various Celiac & Gluten-free sites contradictory info and it is making me very confused.

I read Maltodextrin on the list of “Don’t” eat for gluten sensitivity and on other sites it says it is OK.

It is in my Vitamin D tablets.

Is it OK or not? Anyone have a clue?

This,

Under the Food Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), if an FDA-regulated food product contains maltodextrin and the maltodextrin contains protein derived from wheat, the word “wheat” must be included on the food label (e.g., maltodextrin (wheat)). If you don’t see the word wheat on an FDA-regulated product containing maltodextrin, the food product does not contain any wheat protein. However, for USDA-regulated foods, only the common or usual name is required to be listed on the food label. Therefore, maltodextrin may simply be labeled as “maltodextrin” even if it contains protein derived from wheat. USDA-regulated foods include meat products, poultry products, and egg products. Depending upon the percentage of meat or poultry in a product this can include foods such as soups. From: Open Original Shared Link January, 2013

and this,

The FDA regulates a wide range of products, including foods (except for aspects of some meat, poultry and egg products, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture); human and veterinary drugs; vaccines and other biological products; medical devices intended for human use; radiation-emitting electronic products; cosmetics; dietary supplements, and tobacco products. Open Original Shared Link

So, the long and short of all that is that dietary supplements marketed in the USA and containing maltodextrin as an ingredient would be gluten free unless wheat is specified as the source of the maltodextrin. However, if it is found as an ingredient in certain food products such meats, poultry and eggs there is no requirement to specify the source of the maltodextrin, meaning it could contain gluten.

Hope this helps. Not sure if you are in the USA. If you live near a Costco, there Nature Made supplement products and Kirkland lines are very good about specifying when something is gluten free. It will be labeled as such.

1 hour ago, trents said:

This,

Under the Food Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), if an FDA-regulated food product contains maltodextrin and the maltodextrin contains protein derived from wheat, the word “wheat” must be included on the food label (e.g., maltodextrin (wheat)). If you don’t see the word wheat on an FDA-regulated product containing maltodextrin, the food product does not contain any wheat protein. However, for USDA-regulated foods, only the common or usual name is required to be listed on the food label. Therefore, maltodextrin may simply be labeled as “maltodextrin” even if it contains protein derived from wheat. USDA-regulated foods include meat products, poultry products, and egg products. Depending upon the percentage of meat or poultry in a product this can include foods such as soups. From: Open Original Shared Link January, 2013

and this,

The FDA regulates a wide range of products, including foods (except for aspects of some meat, poultry and egg products, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture); human and veterinary drugs; vaccines and other biological products; medical devices intended for human use; radiation-emitting electronic products; cosmetics; dietary supplements, and tobacco products. Open Original Shared Link

So, the long and short of all that is that dietary supplements marketed in the USA and containing maltodextrin as an ingredient would be gluten free unless wheat is specified as the source of the maltodextrin. However, if it is found as an ingredient in certain food products such meats, poultry and eggs there is no requirement to specify the source of the maltodextrin, meaning it could contain gluten.

Hope this helps. Not sure if you are in the USA. If you live near a Costco, there Nature Made supplement products and Kirkland lines are very good about specifying when something is gluten free. It will be labeled as such.

I noticed that The Nature Made Vitamin D Tablets supplement I bought does say “Gluten free”. Thank you for answering as this is all quite overwhelming. I did not notice it said gluten free until reading your reply so thank you.

Thank you very much- your Reply definitely helps

20 minutes ago, Guest Robin said:

I noticed that The Nature Made Vitamin D Tablets supplement I bought does say “Gluten free”. Thank you for answering as this is all quite overwhelming. I did not notice it said gluten free until reading your reply so thank you.

Out the outset of the gluten free journey it feels indeed overwhelming. It will get easier with time and you will develop a sixth sense as to what to watch out for. But even then, there are still complexities and food questions that have no clear answer. Sometimes the only answer is "maybe" or "could be" or "it depends." All this is compounded by the fact that celiacs vary in their sensitivity to gluten. So what technically meets the gluten free standard of no more than 20ppm of gluten may still cause gluten reactions in the most sensitive celiacs.

By the way, when you have the option to do so, purchase products labeled "Certified Gluten Free" as opposed to "Gluten Free." The former suggests the product has been subjected to more stringent standards.

I'm glad about this. I was just asking this question as well because I love Stevia for baking and to sweeten my tea but it does always seem to have dextrin or maltidextrin in it as well which is likely corn derived I guess. Luckily I don't seem to react to corn. 

Found this re. Maltodextrin, probably not great for celiacs even if it is gluten free..

‘maltodextrin can negatively impact gut health. For example, one studyshowed that maltodextrin can alter the composition of your gut bacteria in a way that makes you more susceptible to disease. It does this by suppressing the growth of the beneficial bacteria in your digestive system that support immune system function. The same study showed that maltodextrin can increase the growth of bad bacteria like E. coli in the gut. Overgrowths of bad bacteria are associated with autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s disease.

Another study acknowledges that maltodextrin impairs cellular antibacterial responses and suppresses intestinal antimicrobial defense mechanisms. The researchers postulate that maltodextrin contributes to intestinal inflammation which can lead to inflammatory bowel disease.’

‘despite being low in sugar, maltodextrin has a high Glycaemic Index (GI) rating (between 80 and 120), and causes blood sugar spikes just like glucose does. To put this into context, sugar’s glycaemic value is 65.2’