Oligomalt | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Oligomalt is a novel slowly digestible carbohydrate (SDC) — an α-1,3/α-1,6-glucan glucose-based polymer with a degree of polymerisation of approximately 15, formerly known as alternan saccharide (AS-15). It is used in food and nutritional products as a healthier alternative to maltodextrin and rapidly digestible carbohydrates, producing lower post-prandial glucose and insulin responses.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Clinical trials at doses up to 180 g/day in healthy adults found oligomalt to be well tolerated, with no serious adverse events; a dose-dependent but clinically limited increase in gastrointestinal symptoms was noted at the highest doses. Small amounts of leucrose (~5% of dry matter) are co-produced during manufacture, though leucrose is itself slowly digested and not considered a safety concern at typical intakes. No ADI has been formally established by any major regulatory body, as oligomalt is a novel ingredient not yet assigned an INS/E-number or formal GRAS/approved food additive status.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Under_review	Oligomalt is not listed in the EU Novel Food Catalogue or the EU approved food additives register (Regulation EC No 1333/2008) as of 2025. A novel food authorisation application may be required under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 before commercial use in the EU.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Under_review	Oligomalt does not appear in the FDA GRAS database or as an approved food additive as of 2025. Clinical trials sponsored by Nestlé (NCT05058144, NCT05963594) have been conducted in the US, but no formal FDA regulatory determination has been published. Regulatory pathway is under evaluation by the manufacturer.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Diabetes — Although oligomalt produces lower post-prandial glucose and insulin responses than maltodextrin, it is still a fully digestible carbohydrate that raises blood glucose, so people with type 2 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes should consult a doctor before incorporating it as a significant dietary carbohydrate source.

Ibs — Clinical trials showed a statistically significant, dose-dependent increase in gastrointestinal symptom scores (GSRS) at high doses (180 g/day), particularly driven by GI discomfort; individuals with IBS or sensitive GI tracts should use caution at elevated intakes.

Ibd — The tolerability study explicitly excluded participants with inflammatory bowel disease, so safety in this population has not been evaluated; caution is warranted pending dedicated evidence.

Infants — Oligomalt is a novel ingredient with no safety data in infants; it has not been approved for use in infant formula or foods for young children by any regulatory body.

— No clinical trials have been conducted in pregnant women, and the co-presence of leucrose (hydrolysable to sucrose and fructose) warrants medical guidance regarding carbohydrate management during pregnancy.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Oligomalt, a New Slowly Digestible Carbohydrate, Reduces Post-Prandial Glucose and Insulin Trajectories Compared to Maltodextrin across Different Population Characteristics: Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trials in Healthy Individuals, People with Obesity, and People with Type 2 Diabetes, 2024. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2PubMed. Oligomalt, a New Slowly Digestible Carbohydrate, Reduces Post-Prandial Glucose and Insulin Trajectories (leucrose co-product note), 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3other. To Evaluate the Post-Prandial Metabolic Effects of Oligomalt in Adults With T2D and in HAO, 2023. clinicaltrials.gov
4PubMed. Oligomalt, a New Slowly Digestible Carbohydrate, Is Well Tolerated in Healthy Young Men and Women at Intakes Up to 180 Gram per Day: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Trial, 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched4 citations