The benefits of emulsifiers in both chocolate and sugar confectionery products have been well established. The most common example in confectionery products is the use of lecithin in chocolate to reduce product viscosity and to facilitate handling. Another emulsifier used in chocolate is polyglycerol polyricinoleate, which is used to modify the viscosity of chocolate coatings. (See SWEETS AND CANDIES | Sugar Confectionery.)
Sorbitan monostearate inhibits the migration of fat retarding bloom and extends the shelf-life of chocolate coatings. ‘Chocolate bloom’ may be defined as the mottled discoloration of confectioners coatings followed by a loss of the gloss. This defect occurs when the coating starts to melt, and some of the melting fat migrates to the surface. The cocoa components that impart the color are left behind inside the coating. Upon cooling, the melted fractions resolidify on the surface to form lighter colored blotches.
Emulsifiers are often used with both semisweet and milk chocolate. Emulsifiers aid in processing by reducing the weep or exudate that occurs with heavy sugar pastes during processing. For example, a marshmallow-based frozen confectionery product is prepared with 0.2–0.8% emulsifier with an HLB between 3 and 9.
Peanut butter contains about 50% peanut oil suspended in peanut fibers. Upon standing, the oil can separate from the peanut fibers, which impairs the product’s appearance and palatability. Mono- and diglycerides can be added to emulsify part of the oil during processing, thereby preventing phase separation. Other benefits include an improved stability and spreadability.
Chewing gums contain fats and emulsifiers that soften the gum base and act as carriers for color and flavor. Lecithin is generally used for this purpose. Emulsifiers (sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, glycerol fatty acid esters, or propylene glycol fatty acid esters) have been used to improve the shelf stability of center-filled chewing gum. The emulsifiers are added to the flavored liquid center at 0.01–0.5% by weight. Some emulsifiers, such as the saturated ethoxylated monoglycerols, can be adsorbed on to starch granules. This property can be used to modify the texture of starch-based sugar confectionery.