Ingredients in Focus is Food Dive’s bite-size column highlighting interesting developments in the ingredients sector.
The market for emulsifiers, used to improve the texture and stability of food products, is seeing greater innovation as companies seek natural, plant-based alternatives with clean labels.
“Clean label” emulsifiers are evolving as manufacturers try to appeal to today’s health-conscious consumers.
A recent report from Innova Market Insights revealed that the global use of emulsifiers in food and beverage launches grew by 4% from July 2019 to June 2024. The bakery category led that growth with 22% of emulsifier launches, followed by confectionery with 21%, dairy with 9%, dessert and ice cream with 7% and finally ready meals and side dishes with 6%.
The data also indicated that soy lecithin was the top emulsifier, used in 25% of products.
“Given their importance across a wide range of food and beverage products, Cargill continues to support innovation in the emulsifier space, looking for solutions that provide the functionality formulators need, while also meeting consumers’ aspirations,” said Shiva Elayedath, principal technical services product specialist of texturizers at Cargill, in an emailed statement to Food Dive.
According to Elayedath, food companies striving for simple and straightforward food labels should avoid using mono and diglyceride based emulsifiers. Instead, they should use sunflower, canola and soy lecithins, which are considered to be more recognizable.
Emulsifiers are under scrutiny as they are commonly part of processed foods. Recent studies suggest they may harm the gut biome.
Food and beverage companies are formulating emulsifier products today like soy lecithin, which is derived from raw soybeans. Other common emulsifiers in the report included mono- and diglycerides (17%), lecithin (14%), sodium citrate (11%) and pectin (11%).
Cargill has focused its innovation efforts for emulsifiers around specific applications, such as plant-based meat alternatives. The company’s portfolio of lecithins includes applications in dairy alternatives and bakery products, among others.
“These plant-sourced lecithins combine great performance with an easier-to-understand ingredient name,” according to Elayedath.
The ongoing issue of food inflation has put the shelf-life of food products in focus as consumers are looking for longer-lasting foods that have a bang-for-your-buck factor.
“Emulsifiers do play important roles in maintaining product quality over shelf life. In bakery items, emulsifiers help keep products moist and soft; in sauces, they keep emulsions stable, preventing separation over time. Shelf life considerations are always part of our conversations with customers,” said Elayedath.
“However, perhaps even more than shelf life considerations, cost optimization is top-of-mind with many customers. In some applications, emulsifiers can help here, too. For example, emulsifiers can help optimize fat levels in many food systems, laying the groundwork for potential cost savings.”
