What Is Maltose & What Foods Can I Find It In?

Maltose is a disaccharide.

It is a sugar and quite sweet, but not as sweet as sucrose.

It’s the end product of starch digestion.

Maltose is frequently used in food manufacture because it has low allergenicity and a sweet taste.

Maltose Is A Disaccharide Sugar

Maltose is a disaccharide sugar which is a key component of starch.

Maltose in plants

In plants, maltose is the main product of the starch debranching enzyme activity and a precursor to sucrose, which is a major transport sugar and the principle storage sugar.

Maltose in animals

In animals, maltose is the main component of mammalian milk. It is also a component of human milk, and it is found in relatively large amounts in goat milk.

The concentration of maltose in goat milk is quite high, ranging from 6.9 to 14.2 percent, while the concentration of maltose in human milk is much lower than that found in goat milk.

Maltose In Food

Maltose is composed of two glucose molecules joined together by a glycosidic bond. (source ◳)

Maltose is a disaccharide that is produced as the end product of starch digestion.

Maltose is found naturally in raw cereals, vegetables and vegetable products, fruits, almonds, and pistachio nuts, as well as chicken. (source ◳)

Maltose is also added to foods

Maltose is also used in the manufacture of dietetic and sports foods, bread, wine, preserves, and beverages.

Because of their sweetness, maltose syrups are used in the production of a wide range of confectionery. (source ◳)

Maltose is commonly used in many medicinal products. (source ◳)

Maltose is also one of the main disaccharides present in beers, contributing approximately 14% of total carbohydrates. (source ◳)

Maltose has side-effects

Maltose has some side-effects that you can find in Maltose: 3 Research-Backed Side-Effects

Maltose Makes Your Food Taste Sweet

Maltose tastes sweet, but not as sweet as sucrose.

Maltose is frequently used in food manufacture, particularly in the production of foods for children, because it has low allergenicity and sweet taste.

Foods You Can Find Maltose In

You find maltose mostly in snacks, baked products, cereal grains and pasta, and sweets.

Examples of food sources include

• Slim-Fast Optima Meal Bar
• White Rolls
• Classic French Dinner Rolls
• Gluten-Free White Bread
• Soft & Delicious White Sandwich Bread
• Soft & Hearty Whole Grain Bread
• Gluten-Free Whole Grain Bread

Foods in our nutrition tool

You can find regularly updated top-ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.

If you are interested in what foods contain the most maltose, we recommend you visit our tool.

Here's our top-ranked list of foods that contain maltose.