Emulsifier

How it is used

An emulsifier molecule has one water-loving end and one fat-loving end. Common examples are lecithin (E322), often from soy or sunflower, and mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471). Egg yolk is a natural emulsifier. People say an emulsifier stabilizes an emulsion and prevents separation.

Example sentences

1. Sunflower lecithin replaced soy lecithin as the emulsifier, so we no longer declare soy.

2. Without an emulsifier, the dressing separates into oil and vinegar within an hour.

Common collocations

• natural emulsifier
• add an emulsifier
• emulsifiers and stabilizers
• oil-in-water emulsion
• prevent separation

Related terms

• stabilizerA substance that keeps the physical state of a food stable, for example stopping ingredients from separating, settling or forming crystals during storage.
• food additiveA substance that is not normally eaten as a food by itself but is added in small amounts for a technical purpose, such as preserving, coloring, thickening or sweetening.
• E numberA code made of the letter E and a number, such as E330 for citric acid, that identifies a food additive approved for use in the European Union.
• homogenizationA process that pushes a liquid such as milk through a narrow gap under high pressure, breaking fat globules into very small ones so that the cream does not separate.
• thickenerA substance that increases the viscosity of a liquid food, making sauces, soups, desserts and drinks thicker without greatly changing their other properties.

More terms: Ingredients and Additives

• preservative
• ingredient
• sweetener
• antioxidant
• flavoring