What is maltose powder?
Maltose powder is a white, sweet powder derived from starch (often corn) through enzymatic hydrolysis. It's a carbohydrate (disaccharide) made of two glucose units, providing bulk, improving shelf life, and preventing sugar crystallization.
Key Characteristics
| Property | Specification |
| Appearance | White powder |
| Sweetness | Mild and low compared to sucrose |
| Formula | C12H22O11 |
| Weight | 342.30 g/mol |
| Water Solubility | Very soluble |
| Melting Point | 102-103°C (hydrated) |
| pH | 4.0-6.0 |
| Moisture | max 6.5% |
Key Uses
Improves and Enhances Food Product Quality.
With a glycemic index (GI) of around 65—lower than glucose (100) and sucrose (60–65, depending on composition)—maltose provides a more gradual rise in blood glucose levels.
Contains natural micronutrients (such as potassium, magnesium, glutamine and other amino acids).
Predigested carbohydrates that are easily broken down by intestinal maltase indirectly support intestinal health.
The stability of the product is protected by reducing water activity, inhibiting harmful microorganisms and a certain degree of antioxidation.
Applications of maltose powder
In food baking, it is used to enhance the flavor of products, help fermentation, and delay the aging of starch in cakes and pastries.
It is used in the food industry as a general sweetener, binder and filler to improve food texture, prevent sucrose crystallization in jam, jelly and hard sugar, improve transparency and extend shelf life.
Maltose powder is valued in the pharmaceutical industry for its stability and compatibility with sensitive biomolecules. Due to its low reducing sugar activity and high molecular weight, it is used as an excipient in lyophilized (freeze-dried) formulations, particularly for proteins, vaccines, and enzymes. In addition, it can be used as an ingredient of some drugs and nutritional supplements in drug production.
Storage
Store maltose powder in a cool, stable environment between 15–25°C (59–77°F). This range prevents thermal degradation and maintains flowability.Keep relative humidity below 50%. In addition, priority should be given to containers and packaging materials with good sealing, moisture-proof and food safety.