Emulsifiers for non-dairy creamers and coffee whiteners

KEY FEATURES

• Easy-to-melt powders
• Non-GMO
• Kosher / Halal-certified
• Available as RSPO SG certified

KEY BENEFITS

• Emulsion stability during production and in the coffee
• Mouthfeel by design
• Improved whitening effect
• Protein stability in warm and acid conditions
• Fast dispersibility of powdered products
• No feathering

Achieving the right mouthfeel in coffee whiteners

In order to meet consumer requests for NDCs with either a clean or creamy mouthfeel, there are several parameters the manufacturer must get right. For one, the mouthfeel of the NDC is affected by the type of fats used in the recipe and the Solid Fat Index and melting points of these. If the melting point is too high and a significant portion of the fat remains solid at the temperature consumed, it will give a greasy or waxy after-taste which is not desirable. 

The effect of the right emulsifiers

Mouthfeel is also affected by the efficiency of the homogenisation and spray drying as the size of the particles will affect the flavour release. The above is, in turn, affected greatly by the quality, type and amount of emulsifiers used in the NDC. Mono- and diglycerides and Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate are the most commonly used emulsifiers in NDCs, but they have different qualities and affect the mouthfeel of the NDC differently. MDG/DMGs are more lipophilic, so they attach more to the fat phase, whereas SSL is more hydrophilic and attaches to the water phase. In practice, this means that by using different emulsifiers, there is a synergistic effect that allows a more stable emulsion to be obtained.

Emulsifiers also play a key role in creating a good whitening effect in the NDC as it all comes down to creating many small oil droplets to reflect light in the coffee. The emulsifiers are fundamental in stabilizing the formed small oil droplets during the spray drying process. Once the NDC is dissolved in the coffee and the oil droplets have been released, emulsifiers also have a key role to play as the environment is completely different from that of the emulsion before spraying with regards to temperatures and acidity. It is therefore highly important that the emulsifiers used can ensure functionality and stability in both environments. Emulsifiers such as SSL work well in acidic environments and help keep the fat globules small and stable. Sodium caseinate also has a stabilising effect.