Sternchemie’s edible lecithin framed as “answer to instant food preparations”

21 Dec 2021 --- Individual lecithins of soy, rapeseed or sunflower from Germany-based Sternchemie are being touted to improve the production and functionality of instant powders, the company claims.

Sternchemie’s lecithin claims to be adept at “ease of preparation” in applications such as baby food, sports beverages, diet shakes, sauces and dressings.

“In order to add even more oxidative stability to final instant products, we are about to extend our portfolio with new blends from alternative sources,” Torben Werner, product manager at the company tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Instant foods should be able to dissolve easily in water or milk to gain acceptance from consumers. Sternchemie provides a solution to the dilemma with sprayable lecithin.

Sternchemie received a Generally Recognised As Safe (GRAS) “letter of no objection” from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its range of sunflower lecithins, earlier this year. 

The recognition provides certainty and transparency for food manufacturers.

Instantizing lecithin for manufacturing easeSternInstant is suitable for milk powders including whole, skim, coffee creamer or cocoa drink powder. 
During instantizing, lecithin forms a fine film around the individual powder particles, thus improving their wettability. Lecithin shows its effects when the power is mixed with liquids like water or milk. 

Lecithin reduces the surface tension between the powder and the liquid to where the powder can distribute and dissolve evenly in the liquid. In this way fatty powders can dissolve easily even in cold liquids.

SternInstant is suitable for milk powders including whole, skim, coffee creamer or cocoa drink powder. It is a sprayable, all-vegetable lecithin-oil mixture with low viscosity. 

It also improves the application properties of instant protein products like sports drinks and diet shakes, the company asserts.

Enzymatically hydrolyzed lecithin from the SternPhil series optimizes the properties of fat powders like powdered whole milk and cream. As an emulsifier, it brings improvements in “wettability, sinking and distribution of very fatty particles.”

“It is key to prove functionality and shelf life stability in the final products. We are running long term studies with experts to trace, especially in the field of oxidation, to test trials and continuously improve our solutions,” explains Werner.

The company also previously addressed the demand for transparency and higher quality consumer expectations for lecithin.

Market requirements differ geographicallySternchemie's lecithin is easily dissolved in water. 
We do see significant opportunities in the North American markets with more customers moving out of GM-soy and demanding cleaner label solutions, underscores Werner.

There are substantial differences in the approval and marking of lecithin as a food ingredient. In the US chemically modified lecithins, such as acetylated or hydroxylated lecithins, are permitted and used. The same lecithins are prohibited in foods in Europe. 

According to Werner, enzymatically hydrolyzed lecithins from the Sternchemie portfolio can be used instead.

“Just keeping up with the legal requirements in the different markets takes a great amount of attention. On top of that there is the need for marketing and product development,” he laments.

The company will extend its portfolio to include new blends from alternative sources to add more oxidative stability.

By Inga de Jong