YenzoWhich foods contain emulsifying salts?
The definition of this group mentions cheese. According to Yenzo's additive page, E451 is common in sausages, cold cuts, frozen prawns and fish, fish cakes, surimi, processed cheese and some cakes and noodles.
Emulsifying salts in food
Emulsifying salts are substances that convert proteins in cheese into a dispersed form and thereby bring about homogenous distribution of fat and other components. They are added to food for that purpose. This definition follows Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Union.
Vietnam regulates additives through a list of permitted additives (Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, referencing international Codex standards); a substance not on the list is not permitted in Vietnam, and that is the first tier of the Yenzo Scale — see how levels are set.
Emulsifying salts: very low risk
Very low risk: no concern at the levels used in food. How we score →
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Fun fact. In processed cheese, emulsifying salts are also known as "melting salts". Chemically they are calcium sequestering salts, most commonly phosphates and citrates, used singly or in mixtures. Caseins are the main structure-forming elements in processed cheese. These salts decrease the concentration of free calcium ions by sequestering calcium from the aqueous phase and dissociate the casein micelles into small clusters, resulting in enhanced hydration and voluminosity of the micelles. They are usually added as sodium salts of phosphates or citrates. Source: A Review on the Effect of Calcium Sequestering Salts on Casein Micelles: From Model Milk Protein Systems to Processed Cheese (Molecules, 2023)
Frequently asked questions about emulsifying salts
How can I recognise emulsifying salts on a label?
Labels usually write the group name with the INS number, for example “emulsifying salt (451)”. A label may also write the E code, the INS code or the name of the substance. The same substance can be written in different ways.
Which emulsifying salts are the most common?
Yenzo does not rank codes. Some codes of this group have a page on Yenzo: E339 (sodium phosphates), E340 (potassium phosphates), E450 (diphosphates), E451 (triphosphates). Each of them has a row in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT with the function “muối nhũ hóa” (emulsifying salt).
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