Emulsifiers & Thickeners

Emulsifiers and thickeners are food additives used in the food industry to improve the texture, stability and quality of food products. Here’s what you need to know about them:

Emulsifiers:

• Emulsifiers are ingredients added to foods to stabilize mixtures and prevent the separation of ingredients that don’t mix naturally. They play an essential role in the manufacture of many food products. Here’s how they work:
• Emulsifiers have a water-loving(hydrophilic) part and an oil-loving(hydrophobic) part.
• When added to an immiscible liquid (such as oil and water), their molecules sit at the interface between the two phases.
• The emulsifier enables the water and oil to disperse finely into each other, creating a stable, homogeneous and smooth emulsion.

Examples of commonly used emulsifiers:

• Soy lecithin (E322): Used in chocolate products, it can be derived from soy, eggs, liver, peanuts and wheat germ.
• Fatty acid esters: These emulsifiers are widely used in processed products, cream sauces and confectionery.
• Carrageenan: Used as an emulsifier and thickener in dairy products, desserts and seaweed products.
• Guar and xanthan gums: These gums are frequently used to thicken and stabilize sauces, creams and bakery products.

Thickeners :

• Thickeners are also food additives that impart a silky, dense consistency to food products. They make foods more attractive to consumers. Here are a few examples of thickeners:
• Pectin (E440): Naturally present in fruits such as apples and pears, it is used to thicken jams and jellies.
• Carrageenan: In addition to its role as an emulsifier, it is also used as a thickener in dairy products and desserts.
• Guar and xanthan gums: These versatile gums are used to thicken a variety of products, from sauces to ice creams.