Reading
ingredient labels can be like reading a foreign language. It seems that more
and more foods are being supplemented with fillers and additives. Two things
you may see on a label are emulsifiers and stabilizers. But what are they, and
can someone with food allergies eat them?
Emulsifiers are
used to mix ingredients together that normally do not mix. A perfect example of
this is oil and water. In mayonnaise, the oil and vinegar are mixed together
with egg yolk – in this case, the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Butter is 20%
water and 80% fat, mixed with milk proteins – the emulsifiers. If you have any
type of food allergy, be sure to find out exactly what emulsifiers are used in a
product before you buy. Common emulsifiers include
eggs and
dairy,
palm oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, lard and tallow - but can be
a number of other ingredients as well.
Google Square Ad
Stabilizers
prevent products that are emulsified to separate once they are mixed together.
Gelatin is one example, as is carrageenan, which is made from red seaweed. If
you see the phrase gelling agent on your label, you will know a thickener such
as pectin has been used.
Monoglycerides
and diglycerides are fats used as stabilizers. In the United States,
stabilizers are most commonly made from corn starch or potato starch. These are
gluten free in wet form, however - once they are dried, they may contain
anti-caking agents such as
wheat.
