Emulsifier - Bakery glosarry

Emulsifier plays an important role in bakery process . Main function of emulsifier is to make a stable emulsion of oil and water .Emulsifier is produced from oil and glycerol . Emulsifier consists of a water-loving hydrophilic head and an oil-loving hydrophobic tail. The hydrophilic head is directed to the aqueous phase and the hydrophobic tail is directed to the oil phase. The emulsifier positions itself at the oil/water or air/water interface and reduces the surface tension and stabilizes in this way the emulsion. They also have the ability to interact with other food ingredients.

Main role of emulsifiers in dough mixing are

• Increased mixing and machine tolerance
• Increased tolerance to variation in ingredients
• Diminished knock downs during handling
• Assit in maximum absorption of water .

Role played in different bakery products are as following

Bread - Interaction among proteins and starch complexing

Biscuits and Cookies - Fat Emulsification

Cakes and wafers - Modification of texture ,fat crystallization ,improvement of foaming and aeration properties .

These emulsifiers are labelled as E numbers on the bakery product packaging . These numbers signify the categories and approval by EU food standards .

Major emulsifiers used in bakery products are

• GMS ( glyceryl mono sterate ) paste or Powder
• SSL ( sodium stearoyl lactylate)
• CSL( calcium stearoyl lactate)
• Lecithin
• Diglycerides
• Polysorbate