Reduced malto-oligosaccharides

Process for the reduction of a malto-oligosaccharide mixture, the process comprising the step of:

• providing a catalytic bed including a hydrogenation catalyst;
• providing a malto-oligosaccharide mixture including a plurality of malto-oligosaccharide species, each of said malto-oligosaccharide species having a non zero DE resulting from the presence of a reducing end group on said malto-oligosaccharide species, said plurality of malto-oligosaccharide species differing in at least in DP value thus defining a DP profile for said mixture, said mixture of malto-oligosaccharide comprising a maltodextrin;
• and
• continuously introducing said malto-oligosaccharide mixture and hydrogen to said catalytic bed under hydrogenation conditions sufficient to catalytically hydrogenate said mixture to reduce the DE thereof to less than about 1, said conditions being suitable to substantially preserve the DP 1-8 profile of said mixture.

Method for preparing a reduced malto-oligosaccharide, comprising the steps of:

• providing a starch;
• hydrolyzing said starch to provide a mixture of a plurality of malto-oligosaccharide species, each of said malto-oligosaccharide species having a non zero DE resulting from the presence of a reducing end group on said malto-oligosaccharide species, said plurality of malto-oligosaccharide species differing at least in degree of polymerization (DP) value thus defining a DP profile for said mixture, said mixture of malto-oligosaccharides comprising a maltodextrin;
• and
• catalytically hydrogenating said malto-oligosaccharide species under hydrogenation conditions suitable to substantially preserve the DP 1-8 profile of said mixture and to reduce the DE of said mixture to less than about 1.