Monoglycerides are a type of fatty acid, similar to diglycerides and triglycerides . They are made of glycerol and one fatty acid chain, as opposed to two or three in the case of diglycerides and triglycerides.
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Researchers know little about how monoglycerides affect the body. According to the FDA, however, monoglycerides are “generally recognized as safe” when used as food additives and ingredients, which means they do not pose an immediate health concern.
Tiny amounts of monoglycerides are present in any food that contains plant or animal fats or oils. Small amounts of monoglycerides can be found in a wide variety of packaged and prepared foods products, including:
Monoglycerides assist in the bonding of oils and fats with water and improve food consistency, texture, and shelf life. Monoglycerides are generally used as emulsifiers for the following purposes:
Currently, monoglycerides are used in small amounts in our foods, so it is hard to say how eating large amounts of these types of fat affect human health. Researchers, however, suggest that monoglycerides can be harmful due to the following reasons:
The following people may need to avoid foods with added monoglycerides:
The FDA first acknowledged the dangers of trans fat in , and manufacturers were required to include trans fat on food labels. Moreover, the FDA banned trans fat in June . However, these restrictions only apply to fats and not to emulsifiers.
Monoglycerides are categorized as emulsifiers; therefore, there are no restrictions on their use in foods. As a result, a food branded “0% trans fat” may nevertheless include trans fatty acids from monoglycerides.
According to existing studies, small amounts of monoglycerides do not appear to cause major health issues, and the FDA permits their usage.
However, as they are basically forms of fats, a diet high in monoglycerides is likely to be associated with the same long-term risks as triglycerides and trans fats, such as heart disease .
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Mono and diglycerides, also called mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, saturated or unsaturated, are a mixture of monoglycerides (commonly with 40-90%) and diglycerides, and also includes minor amounts of triglycerides. It is the most used emulsifier in the food and with the European food additive number E471.
Mono and diglycerides is a group of emulsifiers and the following are the common types (with the only difference in fatty acids):
Although these products only have one fatty acid that starts with “mono” before a fatty acid in the names, actually they’re the mixture of mono and diglycerides and may also contain triesters.
Mono and diglycerides can be esterified with other food grade acidulants (acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid or tartaric acid) to produce another category of emulsifiers – E472 as follows and ethoxylated mono-and diglycerides:
As mentioned above, it mainly consists following three compositions:
It may also contain small percentages of free fatty acids and glycerol.
The difference between monoglycerides and diglycerides is that monoglycerides are obtained by glycerol (E422) esterification with one fatty acid (E570) while diglycerides is derived from glycerol reaction with two fatty acids.
In the below example of monoglycerides, glycerol is esterified with a saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid.
Following is an example of diglycerides obtained by esterified glycerol with a saturated fatty acid – palmitic acid (blue color), and an unsaturated fatty acid – elaidic acid (green color).
The common content of monoglycerides in commercial food grades of mono- and diglycerides are 40%, 60% or 90%.
Following is a table from the EFSA regarding the composition (% by weight) of monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides and others in different food grades of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids in the market.
The main raw materials involved in the production of mono and diglycerides are fatty acids and glycerol, both are naturally present in edible fats/oils of animals (e.g. cow, pig) and vegetable (various plant seeds).
Generally, mono and diglycerides can be made from two manufacturing processes, transesterification process or direct esterification process.
Transesterification means a reaction between an ester and an alcohol.
Mono- and diglycerides can be obtained by the glycerolysis reaction between fats /oils with glycerol, for example between methyl ester and glycerol in the presence of an alkaline catalyst (e.g. NaOH, KOH).
Diglycerides and triglycerides can also be produced in the reaction. ( )
The following is the equilibrium reactions:
Further distillation and other processes can be done to separate/refine monoglycerides and diglycerides, such as to produce distilled monoglycerides.
It can also be synthesized by the esterification between glycerol and fatty acids.
Below is the reaction equation:
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The common vegetable sources of fatty acids and glycerol are as follows:
The common fatty acids including:
Glycerol is also called glycerine or glycerin, it has three hydroxyl groups, which can be esterified with one, two, or three fatty acids to form monoglycerides, diglycerides, and triglycerides.
It is a multi-functional ingredient that can be used as a sweetener, humectant, and thickener in the food and pharmaceutical industry.
It is available both in liquid and solid form:
Soluble in fat, not soluble in water.
The lower the HLB value of an emulsifier indicates that it is more soluble in oil and can form W/O (water in oil) emulsions, or otherwise it is more soluble in water and forms O/W (oil in water) emulsions.
In the molecule of mono and diglycerides, glycerol is hydrophilic while the fatty acid long chain is lipophilic.
It forms W/O (water in oil) emulsion and generally, the HLB value ranges from 3 to 6.
Mono- and diglycerides is a multi-functional ingredient that primarily used as emulsifiers in the following food and for the purpose of:
Yes, it has been approved as a safe ingredient by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), as well as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).
Mono and diglycerides are a multi-functional ingredient which are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) that can be used as an emulsifier, stabilizer, thickener, texturizer, dough strengthener, surface-active agent (and so on) in food with no limitation other than current good manufacturing practice. ( )
It is also generally recognized as safe when used as an emulsifying agent in feed. ( )
Mono- and Diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) is listed in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/ as an authorised food additive and categorized in “Additives other than colours and sweeteners” ( ).
Its application is listed in Group I with the usage “not limited”and separately. The following food may contain it ( ):
After the studies of genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity and other researches, EFSA concluded there were no safety concerns when mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids used as a food additive and no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI). ( )
Categorized in “Others” ( )
It is an approved ingredient in Australia and New Zealand with the code number 471. ( )
Function Class: food additives, emulsifier. ( )
Acceptable daily intake: ADI “not limited” set in . ( )
Generally, there are no observed adverse effects of monoglycerides and diglycerides when used as an emulsifier. However, sometimes consumers are worried that it may do bad to our health due to the trans fatty acids that may in it.
EFSA pointed out during the safety re-evaluation of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids in , that it may increase the amounts of trans fatty acids in final products if it is manufactured by glycerolysis (transesterification process) of hydrogenated fats and/or oils.
Furthermore, the European Commission is considering putting the item of “maximum limits for trans fatty acids” in its specifications for mono- and diglycerides.
It is also called trans-unsaturated fatty acids, which are produced during the partial hydrogenation process of naturally occurring vegetable oils as physical properties of parts of the unsaturated fatty acids (exist in the vegetable oils ) may be altered, changed from cis-unsaturated fatty acids to trans-unsaturated fatty acids in such process.
Human studies show that intake of trans fatty acids may increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease. ( )
No. Mono and diglycerides is a synthetic emulsifier which is made from chemical synthesis, the direct esterification between glycerin and fatty acids or the transesterification of glycerin with fats/oils (triglycerides).
Yes, mono and diglycerides are halal, kosher and vegan if fatty acids and glycerol come from vegetable oils. As the starting raw materials derived in these ways, complies with:
Yes, it is gluten free as it does not contain wheat, rye, barley, or crossbreeds of these grains. And can be used for people with celiac disease.
Monoglycerides and diglycerides are not fat, but triglycerides are. A fat is formed when three hydroxyl groups on glycerol combine with three fatty acids.
Now you may have a knowledge of the emulsifier – Mono and diglycerides (E471), from the following aspects:
If you have any questions or remarks about this additive, feel free to let me know in the comments.