Emulsifier of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids. Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids and their derivatives

Name of mono- and diglycerides fatty acids speaks for itself, these are substances derived from vegetable or derived from glycerol fatty acids. They belong to the group of food additives - stabilizers, thickeners and emulsifiers, in international classification mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are assigned the index E471.

General characteristics of E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

Depending on the starting acids, mono- and diglycerides may look different (calorizator). Saturated fatty acids produce mono- and diglycerides in the form of solid powders, granules or flakes of white-cream color, odorless. Glycerides of unsaturated fatty acids are liquids of an oily consistency, the color of which can be either yellow or brown. Both forms of glycerides tend to dissolve in benzene and ethyl alcohol but are insoluble in water. The main purpose of mono- and diglycerides is the mixing of substances that cannot be mixed under normal conditions (for example, water and vegetable oils).

The human body perceives glycerides like any other fats, the process of processing these substances is no different from others. Mono- and diglycerides are not particularly useful, the only advantage of these substances is their hypoallergenicity. Considering the fact that food supplement E471 increases the calorie content of the products that contain it, you should not get carried away overuse this type of product for those who are prone to obesity, people with diseases of the liver and biliary tract. To date, the permissible daily intake of E471 has not been officially established.

AT Food Industry E471 is used as a stabilizer, a substance that maintains and improves the level of consistency and viscosity of products. E471 is used in the production of mayonnaise, margarine, dairy and sour-milk products, ice cream, curd creams, crackers, cookies and crackers contain a food additive. In addition to the food industry, E471 mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are used in agriculture (animal feed) and cosmetology (fat-based creams).

Use of E471 in Russia

On the territory of the Russian Federation, the use of E471 mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids is allowed as a food additive-emulsifier, which is considered relatively harmless.

Today it is difficult to find a product on the store shelf that is completely free of food additives, which in its composition are indicated by a digital code with the letter “E”. Codes 400 to 599 designate substances that are classified as stabilizers and emulsifiers. Food supplement E471 is a common stabilizer, its effect on the body has been sufficiently studied.

Emulsifiers and stabilizers are substances that stabilize a mixture of immiscible substances (such as oil and water). Stabilizers help to maintain the mutual distribution of molecules of immiscible substances, as well as the consistency and properties of the resulting product.

Emulsifiers and stabilizers can be of natural origin (egg white, soap root decoction, natural lecithin), but synthetic substances are much more often used.

Among emulsifiers and stabilizers, not all are considered harmless to health, many of these food additives are banned in Russia. However, the E471 stabilizer is included in the lists of food additives allowed in Russia, Ukraine and the EU countries.

The most harmful in the group of stabilizers and emulsifiers are water-binding phosphates (E450), which are used in the production of cheeses, cereals, bakery products, powdered products and sodas. Food additives E510, E513 and E527 are also dangerous, which have a bad effect on the functioning of the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

Is E471 stabilizer harmful or not?

To find out if the E471 preservative is harmful, you need to find out its origin and effects on the body. Food additive E471 is an extract from glycerin and vegetable fats, it looks like a colorless cream without taste and smell. Since the E471 preservative contains various fatty components, it is easily absorbed by the body.

In the classifier, stabilizer E471 is called mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids. In the food industry, it has been used for a long time and quite widely, because it allows you to increase the shelf life of products, gives them a density, creamy texture and fat content, but retains a natural taste.

Food additive E471 is used in the production of yogurt, ice cream, margarine, in some types of baking - muffins, cakes, crackers, cookies. The E471 stabilizer has proven itself well in various sauces and creams, as well as in the production of sweets and baby food. It improves the taste finished product and eliminates the greasy taste.

In desserts and ice cream, food additive E471 is used to enhance foaming or as an anti-foaming agent. Adding a stabilizer to confectionery, meat and dairy products facilitate whipping and slow down the separation of fats. In baking, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are used to improve dough plasticity, increase bread volume and extend its freshness.

Studies of the food supplement E471 have shown that this stabilizer is practically harmless. However, if you abuse the products in which it is included, this can have negative consequences for the body. It is harmful to use E471 for people who have, because. supplement contains a large number of fat and enough calories. In addition, it has been proven that mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids noticeably inhibit metabolic processes, thereby causing increased fat deposition.

Excessive consumption of foods with food additive E471 is harmful to people suffering from impaired functioning of the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, as well as those who have problems with the functioning of the endocrine system. Infant formulas with E471 stabilizer do not cause allergies in the child and contribute to rapid weight gain, however, they can cause childhood obesity.

In Russia in the late 90s there was a redistribution of working sectors. Technology and industry advanced, and agriculture began to fade. The country gradually switched from natural food to "artificial". New food must meet new requirements - to be stored for a long time, to be produced cheaply, to attract the buyer with its smell and appearance. It must be tasty so that a person wants to buy it again.

Food additives make our food that way. They can also be natural, as well as artificially synthesized in the laboratory. There are two ways to name them - a full transcript of the substance and abbreviated (index E from the English word examined- checked, it indicates the number indicating the class of food additives).

There are several classifications of such substances.

According to the effect on the human body, there are:

• useful;
• neutral;
• dangerous;
• prohibited.

Also, food additives are divided into classes, with respect to their effects on products - preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, dyes, odor and taste enhancers, and the like. One substance can perform several functions.
This article will talk about such an additive as E471, which is monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids.

Ways receiving additives E 471

This substance is of exclusively natural origin. Extracts from vegetable or animal oils are mixed with glycerol molecules. Thus monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids are obtained.

Properties and forms substances E471

• E471 is a substance without taste and smell.
• Its color can vary from snow-white to sand and even light brown.
• It can be in different states - both liquid and solid, and have various forms: tablets, capsules, balls, powder, sand, flakes, wax. Sometimes monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids can be in the form of a thick transparent mass.

The big plus of this substance is that it removes the rancid and unpleasant aftertaste of animal fats.

Usage and application monoglyceride and diglyceride

Monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids are used in the food industry as emulsifiers or stabilizers of product consistency, as well as blowing agents or antifoams.

Most often, the E471 additive is used as an emulsifier. This is a substance that can mix liquids or substances that cannot physically be mixed. An example is water and oil - emulsifiers create something like capsules containing oil molecules, evenly distributed throughout the volume of water. Thus, the "mixing of the immiscible" occurs.

Also, monoglycerides and diglycerides can act as stabilizers, which implies the creation of the necessary consistency and viscosity of the product.

They are also able to extend the shelf life, which classifies them as preservatives.

Food additive E471 is very popular in the preparation of mayonnaise, sauces, creams for cakes and pastries, fermented milk and dairy products, yogurt, curds, desserts, chocolate, sweets, margarine, ice cream, bakery products (facilitate whipping dough, increase its volume and prolong the state of freshness in the product), meat products (slowing down the release of fats). And also often it is added to children's canned food and dairy products.

Influence food additives E471 on the organism human. Benefit and harm

Monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids are approved for use in most countries. Strange as it may sound, this dietary supplement practically safe for human organism . Moreover, it is easily absorbed in the intestines.

With the abuse of products containing this substance, it is possible to develop obesity, since E471 consists of fats.

Some experts argue that the long-term consequences of the influence of this food additive on the body can be defeat digestive tract(gastritis and gastric ulcer, gastroduodenitis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis).

Many note low allergenicity monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids. On the one hand, this is a big plus. Therefore, they are added to children food. But the flip side of the coin is that children who regularly eat such foods can quickly become overweight.

What to eat and in what quantities is a purely personal matter for any adult. He himself decides how to live, and he chooses his way of life. Someone believes that life is given once and enjoys it to the fullest. Someone is the most carefully monitors their health and nutrition, limiting or completely eliminating junk food from the diet. Other people may be neither there nor here.
But you should always take into account the opinion of leading experts.
Doctors warn that E471 still refers to artificially synthesized substances . And people with pathologies of the liver, biliary tract, kidneys, hormonal disorders should limit the use of foods with a high content of monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids in their composition.

Take care of your health!

Food additive E471, also known as mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, has been used in the food industry for several decades. So far, there is no evidence that this emulsifier adversely affects human health. However, certain groups of people should not eat foods that include E471.

What are mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids and where are they used?

Stabilizer E471 is an extract from vegetable fats and glycerin and looks like a transparent creamy mass without color, smell and taste. Such a filler includes a wide variety of fatty components, due to which it is easily absorbed by the body.

It is worth noting that today E471 is very widely used in the food industry as a cheaper alternative to vegetable oil and animal fats. The thing is that such a stabilizer increases the shelf life of products and at the same time gives them density, fat content and viscosity. On the palatability such popular delicacies as ice cream or yogurts, the presence of E471 does not affect. Artificially obtained mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are used today by many countries of the world. This stabilizer is added not only to dairy products, but also to mayonnaise, margarine, some types of vegetable oils. Plus, the E471 emulsifier has proven itself in different varieties baking, it is used in the manufacture of not only muffins and cakes, but also in the production of crackers, crackers and cookies. Also, the E471 emulsifier can be found on the packaging various sauces and creams, chocolates and products with a high fat content, as well as in some varieties of baby food.

What is dangerous emulsifier E471?

Studies of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids have shown that they are not able to cause much harm to the human body. Unless, of course, you observe moderation in food and do not abuse products that include the E471 emulsifier. Relatively harmless and does not cause food allergies, it has no maximum allowable dosage, which many manufacturers successfully use today.

Of course, this “yeshka” does not have a direct negative impact on the human body, however due to the presence of an emulsifier, the fat content and caloric content of absolutely any product increases significantly. Therefore, people who are overweight should avoid their use. In addition, it has been proven that mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids inhibit metabolic processes in the body, which leads not only to the formation of fatty deposits, but also to disruption of the functioning of such vital organs as the liver, kidneys and pancreas. Therefore, people who already cannot boast of an ideal endocrine system should refrain from using products with E471. For infants, mixtures with this emulsifier are good for weight gain, but can also cause obesity.

Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are an intermediate product that is formed as a result of the breakdown of fats. Their structure in many ways resembles the structure of natural fats, and therefore the human body breaks down and processes the additive under the index E471 in the same way as fats of natural origin.

Description of acids

Some physical properties of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, known under the index E471, will depend on their type:

• with saturated acids, glycerides act as solid substances - granular, powdery or waxy, they are white or creamy in color and odorless;
• with unsaturated acids, they are presented in a more liquid form - these are oil emulsions, the shade of which can vary from yellow to brown.

Regardless of their type, all these substances are insoluble in water. They dissolve well in bases such as alcohol, chloroform and benzene.

Technological functions

In the food and non-food industry, the E471 additive performs the following functions:

• being stabilizers, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids take an active part in the formation of the texture of the product and are responsible for its subsequent preservation;
• as an emulsifier, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids help to combine substances that cannot be combined under normal conditions, such as fat and water.

Application area

Among all the stabilizers of its group, the E471 additive is the most popular and widely used. In the manufacture of food products, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids often replace fats of vegetable and animal origin. They are added during production:

• ice cream;
• cookies;
• yogurt;
• crackers;
• mayonnaise;
• margarines;
• chocolate
• dry cream;
• jelly;
• baby food;
• jams;
• cocoa products;
• bakery products and muffins;

  On a note! When added to the dough, monoglycerides increase its resistance to temperature and mechanical stress, gluten is strengthened and vaporization is uniform, the dough acquires increased elasticity, and the specific volume ready bread increases!

• meat products;
• marmalade;
• non-emulsified oils, as well as vegetable and animal fats;
• confectionery;
• creams and fat glazes.

In mayonnaises and fats, this additive destroys the greasy taste, makes the emulsion stable and facilitates its further processing. With the help of E471 cream, glazes and other coatings produced in the confectionery industry are better whipped, they become less sticky, and the separation of fats slows down. Thanks to monoglycerides, the separation of the fat component in milk and milk is slowed down or completely prevented. fermented milk products and also in meat products. In solid form, these substances stimulate foaming, stabilize the resulting foam and overrun of ice cream and other dairy desserts, and vice versa, unsaturated fatty acid monoglycerides work as antifoaming agents.

In addition to the food industry, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are also used in other industries. For example, these substances are part of some cosmetics where they act as an emulsifier. In addition, they are used in the manufacture of animal feed, and are also added to mixtures intended for the care of certain plants.

How does the E471 supplement affect the human body?

Officially, the harm from the consumption of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids has not been established. The allowable daily allowance of this supplement has not been determined. These substances are non-toxic, do not cause allergic reactions, do not lead to violation or irritation of the skin in direct contact.

E471 is approved for use in the food industry in the countries of the European Union, Ukraine and Russia and is recognized as absolutely harmless. In the human body, it is broken down into separate components, as in the process of assimilation of conventional fats.

Important! However, in the presence of excess body weight and in violation of metabolic processes you should reduce the intake of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, as they increase calorie content food products, which include. In addition, people with impaired functions of the liver and biliary tract should refuse to use such products!

All materials on the site are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any means, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!