Stearoyl lactylate

Chemical bleaching is never used on oils intended for edible use because it oxidizes unsaturated fatty acids to cause off-flavors. However, it does find wide usage for specialty linseed oil, for the paint industry, and fatty chemicals such as sorbitan esters of fatty acids and sodium stearoyl lactylate. Residual peroxide is destroyed by heating above its decomposition temperature. 

Sodium stearoyl lactylate (and the similar calcium stearoyl lactylate) is made by combining lactic acid and stearic acid, and then reacting the result with sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide to make the sodium or calcium salt. 

Two types of these emulsifiers are calcium and sodium stearoyl lactylates (CSL, SSL) and diacetyl tartaric esters of mono and diglycerides (DATEM esters). The bread and flour regulations 1984 permit the use of SSL at up to 5 g kg-1 in all bread while DATEM esters are permitted in all bread without limit. Typical use levels are around 0.5% on flour weight. CSL and SSL have been permitted in the USA since 1961. 

Effects of Surfactants. Two types of surfactants [sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) and calcium stearoyl lactylate (CSL)] at two concentrations (0.2 and 0.4%) were added to soy flours to study the effect of surfactants on the texturization properties of soy flours. An extrusion helper (Tolutein, yeast cell protein) was also included at two concentrations (1 and 2%) in this study because of its behavior similar to a surfactant upon extrusion. 

Some products, like butter and margarine are stabilized by fat crystals. Salad dressings and beverage emulsions are stabilized by other emulsifiers. The stability of non-protein stabilized food emulsions, involving lower molar mass type molecules, tend to be better described by the DLVO theory than are protein-stabilized emulsions. An example of an O/W emulsifier whose emulsions are fairly well described by DLVO theory is sodium stearoyl lactylate [812],... 

Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate occurs as a cream-colored powder. It is a mixture of calcium salts of stearoyl lactic acid, with... 

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate occurs as a cream-colored powder or brittle solid. It is a mixture of sodium salts of stearoyl lactylic acids and minor proportions of other sodium salts of related acids, manufactured by the reaction of stearic acid and lactic acid, neutralized to the sodium salts. It is slightly hygroscopic. It is soluble in ethanol and in hot oil or fat, and is dispersible in warm water. 

Grigoriev, D.O., Leser, M.E., Michel, M., and Miller, R. (2006). Component separation in spread sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) monolayers induced by high surface pressure. Colloids Surf. A. 286, 57-61. 

---