| ≥1 piece |
Food is a complicated mixture of carbohydrate protein, oil and fat, water, and air, as well as a variety of other minute components such as minerals, vitamins, and flavors. Food processing subjects this mixture to a wide range of thermal treatments, such as baking, boiling, steaming, freezing; and mechanical treatments, such as kneading, mixing, extruding etc, all of which futher complicate the structure of the food. The desired result of these treatments is good tasting food. For this reason, products with inproved flaver, texture and quality are always in demand.
The challenge is to bring together the deiverse and often conflicting natural components of food into a consistent and pleasing blend. Each component of food (carbohydrate, protein, oil and fat, water, air, etc.) has its own unique properties which sometimes come into conflict with other components, for example, oil and water. Thus a third substance is neccessary to increase the compatibility of the contact surfaces of the two components, that is, to serve as an interface between two mutually exclusive materials, The substance which is used to improve the quality of food and its processing is called a food emulsifier.