Lactic Acid Monoglyceride vs. Citric Acid Monoglyceride

In the food industry, emulsifiers are essential for enhancing product quality and stability. Among them, Lactic Acid Monoglyceride and Citric Acid Monoglyceride stand out as versatile emulsifiers with unique properties. These two ingredients, though similar in their emulsifying abilities, differ in their chemical structure and performance, making them better suited for different applications.

In this article, we’ll dive into a detailed comparison of these emulsifiers, exploring their composition, key features, uses, and advantages to help customers choose the right one for your specific needs.

1. Chemical Composition and Structure

Lactic Acid Monoglyceride (Lactem)

Lactic acid monoglyceride is produced by esterifying lactic acid (α-hydroxypropionic acid) with monoglycerides (glycerol monoesters of fatty acids). The most common combinations involve lactic acid and glycerol monostearate or glycerol monooleate. Lactic acid is a naturally occurring acid found in dairy products, which adds to the appeal of Lactem as a safe emulsifier for various food products.

Citric Acid Monoglyceride

Citric acid monoglyceride is synthesized by esterifying citric acid (2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propane-tricarboxylic acid) with monoglycerides. The product typically involves citric acid and glycerol monostearate or glycerol monooleate. Citric acid, a natural component of citrus fruits, imparts a distinctive acid profile to CITREM, making it suitable for food systems that are more acidic in nature.

2. Key Features and Benefits

Lactic Acid Monoglyceride (Lactem)

♦ Superior Emulsifying Ability: Lactem provides excellent emulsification, ensuring stable water-oil mixtures in food formulations.

♦ High Heat Tolerance: One of the most remarkable features of Lactem is its ability to withstand high temperatures. It performs exceptionally well in high-temperature food processing, such as baking, frying, and other heat-intensive procedures.

♦ Texture Enhancement: Lactem emulsifier improves the texture of food products, making them smoother, softer, and more elastic, while also extending their shelf life by reducing staling.

Citric Acid Monoglyceride

♦ Antioxidant Properties: Citric acid monoglyceride acts as a powerful antioxidant, helping to preserve food quality and extend shelf life by preventing oxidation.

♦ Antimicrobial Action: CITREM also has antibacterial properties, which help to inhibit microbial growth and ensure the safety and freshness of food products.

♦ Acid Compatibility: Due to its acidic nature, CITREM is perfect for use in acidic food formulations, such as fruit juices and carbonated drinks, where it aids in stabilizing emulsions.

3. Common Applications

Lactic Acid Monoglyceride (Lactem)

Baked Goods: In bread, cakes, and pastries, Lactem prevents starch retrogradation, preserving softness and extending freshness.

Dairy Products: It stabilizes fat in products like ice cream, cheese, and cream, contributing to a better mouthfeel and smoother texture.

Beverages: In both dairy and plant-based drinks, Lactem emulsifier helps maintain a stable emulsion.

Meat Products: It enhances texture, water retention, and overall quality in products like sausages and deli meats.

Citric Acid Monoglyceride

Acidic Beverages: In fruit juices, soda, and energy drinks, Citric Acid Monoglyceride stabilizes emulsions, maintains uniform texture, and prolongs product shelf life.

Fat-based Products: Citric Acid Monoglyceride is used in margarines, shortenings, and other oils to prevent oxidation and extend freshness.

Meat Products: Its antimicrobial properties are beneficial in products like sausages and hot dogs, helping to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life.

Dairy Products: In cheese, yogurt, and other dairy items, CITREM emulsifier stabilizes emulsions and improves consistency.

Baked Goods: CITREM enhances dough characteristics, contributing to better texture, elasticity, and extended freshness of bread and cakes.

4. Comparison of Advantages and Disadvantages

Lactic Acid Monoglyceride (Lactem)

Advantages
●Exceptionally effective emulsifying capabilities, allowing it to be used in a diverse range of food products.
●Outstanding heat - resistance, making it perfect for high - temperature food processing.
●Significantly improves the texture and taste of food, thereby enhancing the overall product quality.

Disadvantages
●Tends to be unstable in acidic environments, which limits its use in certain acidic food products.
●Comes with a relatively high cost, which can increase the production expenses of food items.

Citric Acid Monoglyceride

Advantages
●Exhibits remarkable antioxidant and antibacterial properties, which are crucial for extending the shelf life and ensuring the safety of food.
●Is highly suitable for acidic food systems, fitting in seamlessly with the acidic environment.

Disadvantages
●Its strong acidity can potentially affect the flavor of food, requiring careful control of the additional amount.
●Carries a high cost, which can pose a financial challenge for food producers.

5. Choosing Between Lactem and CITREM: Which Emulsifier Suits Your Needs?

When choosing between Lactic Acid Monoglyceride and Citric Acid Monoglyceride, consider these factors:
1.Temperature Sensitivity: If your product undergoes high-temperature processing, such as baking, Lactem is the better choice due to its superior heat resistance.

2. Acidity of the Product: If your product has a naturally acidic profile, such as fruit juices or carbonated beverages, CITREM is the more suitable emulsifier.

3. Shelf-Life Requirements: If extending shelf life is a priority, especially to prevent oxidation or inhibit microbial growth, CITREM is an excellent option for improving preservation.

6. Conclusion

Both Lactic Acid Monoglyceride (Lactem) and Citric Acid Monoglyceride (Citrem) are effective emulsifiers, each suited for specific food applications. Lactem excels in heat-intensive processes, enhancing texture and shelf life in baked goods, dairy, and beverages. Citrem, with its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, is ideal for acidic foods, extending freshness and improving safety. By weighing their product's specific needs, food manufacturers can select the right emulsifier.

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Succinylated Monoglycerides

SMG

What are Succinylated Monoglycerides ?

Succinylated Monoglycerides are additives used as emulsifiers, dough conditioners and crumb improvers in baked goods and shortenings. They are available in powder form, which is insoluble in cold water but dissolves in hot water and alcohol. Their HLB value ranges from 5-7.1

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In the baking industry, succinylated monoglycerides are used in the production of yeast- and chemically-leavened products including:1

• Bread
• Tortillas
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Pasta
• Snacks

Chemical Structure

Origin

The development of emulsifiers evolved in parallel to shortenings for baking purposes and the advancement in lipid chemistry.1

Succinylated monoglycerides are obtained from fats and oils through a succinylation reaction. In the US alone around 500,000 pounds of emulsifiers are used in the food industry, with the baking industry accounting for about half of the emulsifiers market.1

Function

Succinylated monoglycerides have wide variety of functions in baked goods, some of which are:1

• Dough conditioning: increases mixing and dough mechanical stress tolerance
• Dough strengthener: improves gas retention and loaf volume
• Crumb softening: retards crumb hardening by decreasing free amylose
• Prevents staling: due to the retardation of starch retrogradation
• Blending: assist in blending and emulsification of ingredients
• Enhance shortening properties
• Moisture retention: shelf life extension
• Improves quality: aids the quality of baked goods production and compensates for variations in raw materials
• Increased aeration

Nutrition

Emulsifiers such as succinylated monoglycerides can significantly reduce non-waxy starch digestibility, thus reducing its glycemic index.3

Commercial production

Succinylated Monoglycerides are manufactured through the reaction of a distilled monoglyceride with succinic anhydride at a temperature range of  80-180 °C (175-350°F).3 At temperatures below 95°C (<200°F) an alkaline catalyst may be required to accelerate the reaction. However, at higher temperatures no catalyst is required.3

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Succinylated Monoglycerides must meet the following specifications according to the FDA:

Specification Value Succinic Acid 14.8 – 25.6 % Melting Point 50-60 °C (122 – 140 °F) Acid number 70-120

Application

A wide range of baked goods include succinylated monoglycerides. This emulsifier has an HLB range from 5-7, giving it a lipophilic nature. It is best used after dissolving it in the shortening or lipid phase of the baked good before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.

The following table shows usage limits, benefits and drawbacks of using succinylated monoglycerides in baked goods:1

Baked good Limit Benefits Drawback Yeast-raised products 0.5% Dough conditioningCrumb improvingVolume and texture  Reduced staling Less effective volume improver than other monoglycerides Cakes 0.5% AerationEmulsificationCrumb softening Less common than PGME* and SSL.** Cookies and crackers 0.5% Controls spreadImproves cuttingImproves texture Provides less spread than SSL. Shortening 3% Emulsifier agent –

*PGME: propylene glycol monoester
** SSL: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Regulations

Succinylated Monoglycerides can be safely used in foods providing they meet the FDA specifications. They can only be used in shortening as an emulsifier (≤ 3%) and in bread baking (≤ 0.5%) as a dough conditioner.4

They are not currently approved in the European Union, however they have an assigned E number, E 472g.5

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References

1. Hasenhuettl, G. L., and Hartel, R. W,. Food emulsifiers and their applications. Vol. 40. No. 6. 3 rd ed.,Springer, .
2. Guraya, Harmeet S., Ranjit S. Kadan, and Elaine T. Champagne. “Effect of rice starch‐lipid complexes on in vitro digestibility, complexing index, and viscosity.” Cereal Chemistry 74.5 (): 561-565.
3. O’Brien, R.D. Fats and oils: formulating and processing for applications. 2 nd ed., CRC press, .
4. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). US Department of Health and Human Services. CFR Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Part 172 Food Additives Permitted For Direct Addition To Food For Human Consumption,https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=172.830, Accessed 6 August .
5. European Commission. “FOODS SYSTEM”. Webgate.Ec.Europa.Eu, , https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/foods_system/main/index.cfm . Accessed 7 Aug .