Dextrin

Dextrin is notable for FODMAPs, oligosaccharides and gluten. Clear on lactose, fructose, sucrose, sorbitol, histamine, tyramine, salicylate, nickel and oxalates.

Dextrin contains only low levels of FODMAPs. Dextrin is fermented in the colon, and the useful part is how MUCH gas that makes: Noack measured wheat dextrin producing the least of the three fibres tested at 8, 12 and 24 hours, where inulin produced the most by 8 hours. Timm found the same the other way round — inulin gave significantly more hydrogen and total gas. Wheat dextrin also reached the highest pH of the three, 6.17 against inulin's 5.94, and took until 24 hours to get there: it ferments slowly as well as gently. Both studies are fermentations in a vessel rather than in a person, so they rank fibres against each other and give no serve size.

Dextrin contains only low levels of oligosaccharides. Dextrin is partially hydrolysed starch — glucose chains cut short, which puts some of them in the oligosaccharide range rather than the polysaccharide one, and that is why it reaches this axis at all where an intact starch does not. What holds it low is that the chains are glucose: Noack and Timm measured it fermenting more slowly and with less gas than inulin, which is a fructan. Both worked in vitro on a purified supplement, so they compare fibres and do not give a content per 100 g.

Dextrin contains only low levels of gluten. Dextrin may be made from wheat, and unlike its neighbour the law does not let that go unsaid. Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 lists the cereals that must be declared and then names four products exempted from declaring them — wheat-based glucose syrups, wheat-based MALTODEXTRINS, barley-based glucose syrups, and cereals used for alcoholic distillates. Dextrin is not among them. What decides an individual product is the starch it was made from, and only the label says which. That annex sets a labelling duty and never a content, so it tells you what must be written, not how much is there. Amounts vary by brand and recipe, so always check the label of the exact product.