sunflower or rapeseed, have different melting points and fatty acid compositions, which are likely to deliver different functionality to that of palm-based products. By using sustainable palm oil, on the other hand, manufacturers can use oils with well-known functionalities and production processes, simultaneously satisfying consumer demands for health and environmental protection. Here the RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil) provides a useful yardstick for emulsifier manufacturers and their customers. The RSPO was founded to promote the production and use of sustainable palm oil, bringing social and environmental NGOs together with all sectors of the palm oil industry. Under the RSPO’s structure, palm oil can be processed or traded through one of four supply chain models: Identity Preserved, Segregation (SG), Mass Balance (MB) or Book and Claim. Producers like Palsgaard have wasted no time in adopting these models. And in fact, the Danish company can already provide all of its vegetable-based emulsifiers as Segregated – the RSPO’s most stringent level. Already now, therefore, food manufacturers can replace conventional palm oil with segregated palm oil without difficulty. It’s a sharp contrast to the many hours of complex R&D work and test productions required to create sunflower- or rapeseedbased products with the same functionality as the original, palmbased versions. What’s next for emulsifiers? In decades to come, inventions like margarine will be needed to get more out of our foods, using a widening variety of raw ingredients. And emulsifiers will be needed to make much of it possible. So, what is the future for emulsifiers? “There’s a lot going on,” says Anders Mølbak Jensen, Global Product & Application Manager at Palsgaard. “Of course, our R&D scientists try to stay ahead of the trends in the market, such as Segregated emulsifiers. But, for example, we are also working on emulsifiers with different fatty acid combinations, and emulsifiers in liquid form that you don’t have to melt before using.” Moving away from palm oil isn’t as simple as it sounds, which is why manufacturers with sustainability on their agenda must look into the possibilites offered by the RSPO. At a fundamental level, emulsifier technology is still in its infancy. In fact, there is much more to be discovered – particularly around how emulsifiers work at a molecular level. Knowing more about this will enable scientists to gain even better control over emulsifier design and increase their efficiency, too. Claus Hviid Christensen, newly appointed CEO of Palsgaard’s sister company Nexus A/S, which continuously researches, develops and refines emulsifier formulations, explains: “While each emulsifier has a single E number, it is composed of many different chemical substances. And we are only now exploring what each of these different molecules actually contributes to emulsifier functionality. Once we understand which molecules are key, our customers can dose fewer additives and less of them into their recipes.” New applications Such new discoveries will enable emulsifier manufacturers to move from relying on trial and errorbased experimentation to a more knowledge-driven approach that is expected to open new doors for emulsifiers in a wide range of applications. Studies of emulsifiers have led to new discoveries of the applications of these versatile ingredients. For margarine manufacturers it means that they can get packaging for their products with a more sustainable profile and a nicer appearance that will remain dust-free on the supermarket shelf for longer. “For example, we have recently applied emulsifiers to polymers for food packaging – providing anti- 3
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