What is phospholipid extracted as a food additive

Food additive phospholipids are mainly extracted from natural raw materials such as soybeans, egg yolks, and sunflowers. Phospholipids are widely used in the food industry as emulsifiers and nutritional supplements, and their extraction processes include solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and other methods. Soybeans are the most common source of phospholipid extraction. The oil residue produced during the refining process of soybean oil is dehydrated, and crude phospholipids are obtained by removing oil with acetone. High purity phospholipids can be obtained by ethanol extraction. The extraction of egg yolk phospholipids requires first separating the egg yolk oil, and then using ethanol or chloroform methanol mixed solvents for extraction. Its lecithin content is high and contains unique brain phospholipids. The extraction process of sunflower phospholipids is similar to that of soybeans, but attention should be paid to removing residual anti nutritional factors such as gossypol. Animal derived phospholipids such as milk phospholipids are obtained by further purification after centrifugal separation of milk fat. These phospholipids are more easily absorbed by the human body but have higher costs. In modern extraction techniques, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction can effectively retain the active components of phospholipids without solvent residue, while phospholipids produced by microbial fermentation have a more stable fatty acid composition. Phospholipids from different sources have differences in HLB values, fatty acid composition, and functional properties, and the food industry often uses them in combination according to product requirements.

When choosing phospholipid additives, attention should be paid to the information of raw material allergens. Some people may be allergic to phospholipids from soybeans or egg yolks. Reasonable intake of phospholipids can help with cell membrane repair and nerve conduction, but the amount added in processed foods must comply with national standards. It is recommended to purchase phospholipid products with SC numbers through legitimate channels and avoid selecting additives with unknown sources.