Modified Lecithin
Modified Lecithin is a family of phospholipid emulsifiers in which the native molecular structure has been altered by enzymatic or chemical treatment to deliver functional properties beyond those of standard lecithin. It carries the European food additive number E322 within the broader lecithin class.
The most common modifications are enzymatic hydrolysis with phospholipase A2, hydroxylation with hydrogen peroxide, acetylation, and partial hydrogenation. Each route shifts the balance between oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsifying behaviour.
We source bulk Modified Lecithin from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Anhui. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Packaging
- 250 kg plastic drum or 1,000 kg IBC tote
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
Grades / Types Available: Food Grade, Feed Grade
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Yellow to amber liquid or waxy solid |
| Acetone Insolubles | ≥ 56% |
| Hexane Insolubles | ≤ 0.3% |
| Acid Value | ≤ 40 mg KOH/g |
| Peroxide Value | ≤ 10 meq/kg |
| Moisture | ≤ 1.5% |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 2 mg/kg |
| Purity/Assay | ≥ 95% (Food Grade) |
| Viscosity | 1000-3000 mPa.s (Food Grade) |
| Moisture/Loss on Drying | ≤ 1% (Food Grade) |
| pH | 6.0-7.0 (Food Grade) |
| Particle Size/Mesh | Passes 80 mesh (Food Grade) |
| Ash | ≤ 1% (Food Grade) |
| Lead | ≤ 1 ppm (Food Grade) |
| Arsenic | ≤ 0.5 ppm (Food Grade) |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 1000 cfu/g (Food Grade) |
| Yeast & Mold | ≤ 100 cfu/g (Food Grade) |
Common Markets Grades
Modified Lecithin is graded by modification type and the resulting hydrophilic-lipophilic balance.
Enzymatically hydrolysed grades carry a fraction of lysophospholipids that boosts oil-in-water emulsifying performance. Hydroxylated grades carry hydroxyl additions across the unsaturated fatty acid chains for improved water dispersibility.
Acetylated grades carry acetyl substitutions on the amine groups of phosphatidylethanolamine to lower the isoelectric point and improve acid-system stability. Hydrogenated grades carry saturated fatty acid chains for use in high-temperature processing and oxidation-prone systems.
Each modification is produced from soy, sunflower, and rapeseed source material, in both fluid and powdered formats.
Applications
- Oil-in-water emulsions for dressings, sauces, and beverages
- Margarine and spread formulations needing improved water binding
- Bakery products where extra crumb softness or volume is required
- Instant beverage powders for fast cold-water dispersibility
- Infant formula and clinical nutrition emulsions
- Ice cream and frozen desserts for improved fat structure
- Pharmaceutical emulsions and creams
- Cosmetic skincare emulsions with high water phase
- Plant-based meat and dairy alternative formulations
- Nutritional shake and protein drink stabilisation
- Confectionery cream fillings and praline centres
- Industrial coatings and release agents requiring tailored HLB
China Manufacturers of Modified Lecithin
Top Modified Lecithin manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Modified Lecithin
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Modified Lecithin out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Modified Lecithin together with other ingredients such as Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids, Non-Dairy Creamer and Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Modified Lecithin falls within the lecithin additive class and is approved under E322 in the European Union, with specific modification routes covered by the broader lecithin definition.
The United States Food and Drug Administration treats hydroxylated lecithin as a separate listing under 21 CFR 172.814 with defined production limits. The lecithin GRAS listing under 21 CFR 184.1400 generally covers enzymatic and acetylated grades.
JECFA reviewed lecithins as a class and concluded that a numerical intake limit was not required. Hydroxylated lecithin specifically was reviewed and accepted on similar terms.
Source allergen labelling follows the parent oilseed. Most modified grades carry Kosher and Halal certifications, with non-GMO documentation available for IP-sourced material.
Manufacturing Process
Modified Lecithin production starts with standard fluid or deoiled lecithin and applies one of several modification routes.
Enzymatic hydrolysis uses phospholipase A2 in a stirred reactor at 40 to 60 degrees Celsius with controlled pH and water content. The enzyme cleaves one fatty acid chain from a fraction of the phospholipids, producing lysophospholipids that shift the emulsifying balance toward oil-in-water systems.
Hydroxylation uses dilute hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid in a stirred reactor at moderate temperature. The peroxide adds hydroxyl groups across the carbon-carbon double bonds of the unsaturated fatty acids, lifting water dispersibility.
Acetylation uses acetic anhydride to substitute acetyl groups on the free amine groups of phosphatidylethanolamine. Hydrogenation uses a nickel catalyst under hydrogen pressure to saturate the fatty acid chains. Each modification route is followed by neutralisation, drying, and standardisation.
