Margarine is sold to consumers and the food industry in various forms, including table margarine, frying margarine, liquid margarine, cake & cream margarine, shortenings and the puff pastry margarine used for croissants & Danish pastries.
Margarines
The main role of emulsifiers in margarine production is to emulsify oil and water, ensuring that water droplets are finely dispersed in the oil phase resulting in a stable margarine. Small water droplets are also optimal from a microbiological perspective. In addition to stability, emulsifiers give margarine the required texture, plasticity and taste. Emulsifiers also enable fat reduction by ensuring low-fat margarine has the desired stability.
In frying margarine, emulsifiers prevent spattering during frying.
In whippable margarine or fillings, emulsifiers are added to improve creaming properties and optimise the whipping time.
Typically used emulsifiers are lecithins (E322) and mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) for emulsification reasons. Citric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E472c) are added to frying margarine to prevent spattering. Lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E472b) and polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (E475) are added to whippable products. Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (E476) is used in low-fat products.
Shortenings
The food industry often uses shortenings as a water-free alternative to margarine. In this application, emulsifiers are essential. Shortenings are sometimes used as emulsifier carriers to improve the quality of the final consumer products, such as cakes.
Typically used emulsifiers are lecithins (E322), mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471), lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E472b) and polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (E475).
Spreads & peanut butter
Emulsifiers provide stability and improve the spreadability of various spreads, including peanut butter. Stickiness in the mouth is reduced, flavour release is improved, and production is made easier.
The typically used emulsifier is mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471).
