Cyclodextrins are ring-shaped dextrins built from at least six glucose units, most commonly six, seven or eight, called alpha-, beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin. Their ring can host a variety of guest molecules, making them useful complexing agents, with the beta form the most widely applied. In food manufacturing they work as emulsifiers and stabilizers and as masking agents that hide off-odours and off-flavours by trapping bitter or volatile compounds. They can even bind cholesterol, an effect explored in functional foods. Toxicological reviews have found them safe at typical food-use levels, supporting their approval in many jurisdictions.