Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Emulsifiers
Emulsifiers
: 13
11.1 Introduction
Emulsifiers are additives that allow normally immiscible liquids, such as oil and water, to
form a stable mixture.
An emulsion is a blend of two immiscible liquids, with droplets of one phase (dispersed
phase) distributed in the other phase (continuous phase). In general these are unstable systems in
which the dispersed phase droplets tend to agglomerate or coalescence and separate out. The
boundary between the two phases is called the interface.
Emulsifiers contain b oth hydrophilic and lipophilic parts. The hydrophilic head is easy to
hydrate (water soluble) and the lipophilic tail is impossible or v ery difficult to hydrate (oil
soluble). Emulsifiers concen trate at the interface between oil and water and reduce the surface or
interfacial tension, thereby making the emulsion more stable (Figur e: 11.1). In many industries
emulsifiers are referred to as “surfactants”, which is an abbreviation of surface active agents.
In commercial food emulsifiers the hydrophilic part can consist of glycerol, sorbitol,
sucrose, propylene glycol or polyglycerol. The lipophilic part is formed by fatty acids derived
from fats and oils such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oils.
The stability of an emulsion depends on:
Droplet size: a smaller droplet size facilitates emulsion stability. The droplet size can be
influenced by homogenization.
Viscosity of continuous phase: a higher viscosity facilitates emulsion stability. The
viscosity of the water phase can be influenced by the addition of hydrocolloids or
thickening agents.
Specific density of the two phases: if the difference in density between the two phases is
small, the emulsion will be more stable. For essential oils in beverages weighting agents
can be used to increase the density of the essential oil.
Quality of the interfacial film: the film can consist of emulsifiers and / or proteins.
In addition to their major function of producing and stabilizing emulsions, food emulsifiers
(or surfactants) contribute to numerous other functional roles. Table 11.1 is a list of functional
properties of food emulsifiers compiled from a variety of sources.
Table 11.1 Functional Properties of Food Emulsifiers
Several parameters should be considered during emulsifier selection. These parameters include
Approval of the emulsifier by the appropriate government agency
Desired functional properties
End product application
Processing parameters
Synergistic effect of other ingredients
Cost
It should be noted that in many food applications combination of emulsifiers are used to
achieve the optimal performance.
11.6.1 Bakery
Application Emulsifier Benefits
Reacts with starch to delay retrogradation
Cake, Bread MDG resulting in an improved softness of the crumb
and extended shelf life.
Strengthens the gluten, resulting in improved
DATEM dough stability and improved gas retention. The
Bread
Lecithin final product shows a higher volume and a good
crumb structure.
11.7.2 Confectionary
Application Emulsifier Benefits
Controlled sugar crystallisation resulting in
Soft candy
Sucrose esters small sugar crystals with a long shelf life and an
Chewy candy
improved texture.
Viscosity reduction and control in chocolate
and reduction of fat bloom. The combination of
Lecithins
Chocolate PGPR and lecithin makes cocoa butter
PGPR
reduction possible while maintaining optimal
viscosity and fluidity.
Lecithins Softening of the gum base, improved chew-
Chewing gum
ACETEM ability and anti-sticking.