A polydextrose having improved color, flavor and decreased reactivity toward food ingredients having amine functionality. The polydextrose comprises a water-soluble highly branched polydextrose having been prepared by a process which comprises melting dextrose in the presence of a food-acceptable acid catalyst. The improved polydextrose of this invention has substantially no reducing glucose groups. Another aspect of this invention is directed to a method of making the above-described improved polydextrose which comprises exposing unimproved polydextrose to an environment capable of chemically transforming the reducing glucose groups contained in the unimproved polydextrose, thereby substantially eliminating their reducing properties. An improved polymaltose prepared by heating maltose in the presence of a food-acceptable acid catalyst and chemically transforming the reducing glucose groups contained in the polymaltose, thereby eliminating their reducing properties, is also described.