As a lifestyle choice, many people wish to avoid foods containing high amounts of chemical preservatives, such as benzoates and sorbates. Cultured dextrose is a method of digesting the sugar dextrose in a way that naturally produces chemicals that prevent microbial growth and spoilage. However, foods that contain cultured dextrose are still considered to contain preservatives.
Dextrose
Dextrose, or maltodextrin, is a long polymer chain of individual glucose sugars linked together. Dextrose is a naturally occurring sugar, but it does not have any preservative qualities itself. When dextrose is used as food by certain species of bacteria, chemical byproducts are produced that can inhibit the growth of some types of microbes.
Cultured Dextrose
Cultured dextrose is digested by the dairy culture P. freudenreichii shermanii into individual molecular components. P. freudenreichii shermanii is considered a probiotic and is also used to flavor cheeses, such as Swiss cheese. After digestion, cultured dextrose is rich in the chemicals butyric, propionic and lactic acids and small peptides — pieces of protein. The finished product is an off-white powder.
Use
Cultured dextrose can be used to extend shelf life and act as a preservative in place of chemicals such as benzoates and sorbates. The chemicals in cultured dextrose prevent the growth of a variety of bacteria, yeast and molds. Cultured dextrose may be added to many products, including cheeses, sauces, dressings, prepared foods, baked goods, dairy, meat and poultry.
Safety
Cultured dextrose is generally regarded as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when used in amounts below 2 percent by weight in foods. The label can read cultured dextrose or cultured skim milk – rather than the resultant chemical preservatives – but cannot be labeled as preservative-free. The dairy culture used to ferment dextrose is non-pathogenic and non-toxic, and is inactivated during processing.
