Some of the online purchasing agents for milk powder in certain countries often claim that their milk powders are not soluble because they do not add an immediate solvent called maltodextrin. The implication is that the solubility of milk powder in other people's homes is good because of the addition of fast solvents. Because I couldn't read the words used in the packaging of milk powder, I didn't care too much about them. I think that they are not good at instant dissolving but only because of the poor craftsmanship. Looking a little closer today, the original section of milk powder contains 6.2 grams of lactose and 0.8 grams of starch per 100 milliliters. Another paragraph of a natural and organic milk powder contains 6.9 g of lactose and 1.2 g of starch per 100 ml!
Under the same reconstitution conditions, the rapid dissolvability of milk powder is mainly affected by the formulation and production process. And the two are difficult to separate. The same formula, the quality of the production process may cause the difference in instant solubility; the same production process, different formulations, the milk powder produced by the instant solubility will be different. Starch, on the other hand, is just one of the raw materials that easily leads to poor fast-solubility.
So what is the so-called quick solvent added to milk powder? Is it harmful?
Maltodextrin is actually a substance obtained by partially hydrolyzing starch. It is easier to digest than starch and it is also easier to dissolve in water. In fact, lactose is the best, followed by maltodextrin, and the worst is starch. In other words, if the other conditions are the same, milk powder contains only lactose, which is actually better than adding maltodextrin or starch. Maltodextrin is just better soluble than starch, and it is not itself a so-called "quick solvent". There is no fast solvent in infant formula. Its instant solubility is achieved through the production process.
Whether it is maltodextrin or starch, it can be added to infant formula as a source of carbohydrates. Considering that the carbohydrate in breast milk is mainly lactose, it is generally recommended that the normal infant formula should also be based on lactose. Maltodextrin itself is a very safe food material that has been used for a long time. Whether it is the Codex Alimentarius Commission or the European Union, there is no upper limit on the use of maltodextrin in an infant formula, but it does stipulate that if it is used, Starch may not exceed 30% of total carbohydrates and not more than 2 g/100 ml. China's national standard for infant formula, however, stipulates that lactose should not be less than 90% of total carbohydrates.
According to the previous data, it can be known that the proportion of lactose in the two milk powders is 88.6% and 85.2%, respectively. That is to say, according to China's standards, they all belong to substandard products. Of course, mothers who use these two types of milk powder need not worry too much. The formulation of standards is slightly different in different countries, and they are different. This is normal. Adding starch to milk powder can usually make milk powder thicker and digest it more slowly. In general, it is more “fightingâ€.
In short, there is no fast solvent in infant formula. Maltodextrin is only easier to dissolve and digest than starch and is not a fast solvent. A portion of maltodextrin or starch may be used in the milk powder, or only lactose may be used. In infant formula milk powder sold in the regular channels in China, carbohydrates are mainly lactose, and certainly not less than 90%.
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