Emulsifiers in Food Technology

Book excerpt: Emulsifiers are essential components of many industrial food recipes. They have the ability to act at the interface between two phases, and so can stabilise the desired mix of oil and water in a mayonnaise, ice cream or salad dressing. They can also stabilise gas/liquid mixtures in foams. More than that, they are increasingly employed in textural and organoleptic modification, in shelf life enhancement, and as complexing or stabilising agents for other components such as starch or protein. Applications include modifying the rheology of chocolate, the strengthening of dough, crumb softening and the retardation of staling in bread. This volume, now in a revised and updated second edition, introduces emulsifiers to those previously unfamiliar with their functions, and provides a state of the art account of their chemistry, manufacture, application and legal status for more experienced food technologists. Each chapter considers one of the main chemical groups of food emulsifiers. Within each group the structures of the emulsifiers are considered, together with their modes of action. This is followed by a discussion of their production / extraction and physical characteristics, together with practical examples of their application. Appendices cross-reference emulsifier types with applications, and give E-numbers, international names, synonyms and references to analytical standards and methods. This is a book for food scientists and technologists, ingredients suppliers and quality assurance personnel.