Food emulsifiers, stabilizers

An emulsifying agent is a complex food additive for creating a stable homogeneous mixture of immiscible phases in a product. Emulsifiers are multifunctional: in addition to the distribution of immiscible components, they give the product density, viscosity, “mobile” properties.

What are they used for?

Emulsifiers are an integral component of mayonnaise, sauces, margarine, butter, confectionery sweets, all types of chocolate, ice cream, etc.

⦁ In bakery products, the emulsifier comes into contact with flour proteins. This “union” strengthens gluten, which increases the specific volume, improves porosity, crumb structure, slows down staling;
⦁ In the composition of margarine, emulsifiers prevent the process of fat crystallization, affecting the shelf life, splashing when heated, organoleptic properties (taste, appearance, smell, consistency);
⦁ When making chocolate, this ingredient reduces viscosity and improves fluidity.

Types of emulsifying agents

Emulsifiers by their origin are divided into two types: natural (eggs, lecithin, agar, gelatin, pectin, chitosan, cholesterol, lanolin, gums, etc.) and synthetic (mono — and diglycerides of fatty acids, modified lecithins, various derivatives of monoglyceride esters).

Reference. Synthetic emulsifiers are completely safe for human health if the recommended dosages of consumption and established technical conditions for production are observed. Most of them simply do not cause any benefit or harm to the body.

Emulsifiers are also divided into two groups:

⦁ Foaming agents- forms foam;
⦁ Stabilizers- prevent it from settling.

Operating principle

In confectionery and bakery enterprises, emulsifiers are used to create a homogeneous emulsion by combining ingredients such as oil and water. Emulsions are divided into two types: direct (“oil in water”) and reverse (“water in oil”). From the direct emulsion, for example, you get buttercream, milk, from the reverse-margarine. Usually, industrial food industries combine both of these types at once.

By chemical composition, the molecules of emulsifiers, which are surfactants (surfactants), have a diphilic structure: they contain polar hydrophilic (water-absorbing) and nonpolar hydrophobic (water-resistant) groups of atoms that are located at different ends of the molecule. The main quality of surfactants is a reduction in the surface tension of the components of the mixture, which leads to free mixing of its elements. Due to their structure, these substances are dissolved in both water and organic solvents.

The basic properties of emulsifiers are formed by the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of their molecules. It is an indicator of the ratio of molecular weights of hydrophilic and lipophilic groups and can vary from 1 to 20 units.

Emulsifying agents with a value of < 10 are lipophilic, i.e. they form and make stable reverse emulsions. So, in the manufacture of margarine, a thickener with a GLB value of 3-6 units is used. The higher this indicator, the higher the ability of the surfactant molecule to form and stabilize direct emulsions, so for butter cream it is better to add emulsifiers with a HLB of 8-18 units. You can buy an emulsifier for cream on our website.

Table 1. Values of the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the main food emulsifiers.

Why us?

Neos Global offers complex emulsifiers of vegetable and synthetic inhouse production of Russkie Ingredients LLC. Our emulsifiers are a paste-like mass and are in the active alpha phase. When working with an ingredient in this phase, no additional preparatory steps are required for work — the emulsifier is immediately added to the dough when kneading.

The carefully selected composition of complex emulsifiers combined with modern technologies ensures a stable result, contributes to obtaining excellent volume, achieving uniform porosity, and uniformity of structure. Lipids contained in emulsifiers form complexes with starch, so due to the use of these ingredients, baked products lose moisture more slowly and, consequently, stay fresh longer.

Our company has developed a special line of complex emulsifiers without propylene glycol and sorbitol. Such additives allow wholesale producers to:

⦁ Reduce the budget for the purchase of emulsifiers (the cost of additives without propylene glycol is lower than the classic line);
⦁ Highlight your product with the label “without propylene glycol”, be in the trend of a healthy lifestyle;
⦁ Develop export potential in countries where propylene glycol is prohibited in food products;
⦁ The use of thickeners without sorbitol makes it possible not to refer to the laxative effect of sweeteners on the packaging of confectionery products.

Since 1989, we have been helping our customers to implement new technological solutions, refine recipes, and work on reducing the cost of products without losing their characteristics. At our own production facility with an area of more than 1800 m2 in the Moscow region, we strictly observe sanitary and technological standards for the production of products. Our manufacturing facilities is certified according to the FSSC 22000 system.

For ordering or discussing any possible purchase of emulisifier, please contact us: