What Are Emulsifiers in Food and Should You Avoid Them?

Key TakeawaysEmulsifiers are added to foods to help stabilize mixtures that would normally be naturally separated, like oil and vinegar.Some data raises the question of whether consuming emulsifiers can be linked to heart health and gut health concerns.More quality data is needed before determining people should avoid added emulsifiers.

Key Takeaways

Emulsifiers are added to foods to help stabilize mixtures that would normally be naturally separated, like oil and vinegar.Some data raises the question of whether consuming emulsifiers can be linked to heart health and gut health concerns.More quality data is needed before determining people should avoid added emulsifiers.

If you search the term “emulsifiers” on social media, you will be presented with thousands of posts suggesting that these ingredients are wreaking havoc on your gut health, mental health, and more.

According to a recent study published in theBritish Medical Journal, there may be a link between the risk of cardiovascular disease and the intake of certain food additive emulsifiers.

Yet emulsifiers are added to many foods, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deems them safe to consume.Food emulsifiers undergo safety assessments before approval for use in foods, using the same approaches as other food additives.

Not all emulsifiers are created equal, and understanding how they impact your health starts with learning what the different types are.

What Are Emulsifiers?

Emulsifiers are ingredients that help stabilize mixtures and prevent the separation of ingredients that would normally not combine well, such as oil and water. These components improve the texture and consistency of some foods, making them more appealing to consumers.

Emulsifiers are among the most commonly-used additives in industrial foods owing to their thickening properties, which improve texture and lengthen shelf-life.They play unique roles for specific foods. For example, some emulsifiers, such as lecithin, guar gum, and carrageenan, prevent large ice crystals from forming in ice cream. Added lecithins are also what makes certain chocolates velvety smooth.

Not all emulsifiers are added to foods, as some are found naturally within foods as well, saidSarah Anzlovar,RDN, LDN,a Boston-based registered dietitian and owner of Sarah Gold Nutrition.

For example, although most lecithin emulsifier is made from processed soybean oil, lecithin is also found in foods such as eggs, liver, soybeans, peanuts, and wheat germ. So when you are eating a hard-boiled egg, you are eating lecithin, even though no emulsifier was physically added.

Emusifying pectins are also naturally present in fruits such as apples and pears.

It’s possible to emulsify foods yourself without using additives.

“You might use mustard as an emulsifier in a homemade salad dressing instead of xanthan gum, which is commonly used in those found at the grocery store,” Anzlovar told Verywell.Some common synthetic food emulsifiers include:

Natural emulsifiers include:

Emulsifiers and Heart Health

Emulsifiers help make food more cohesive and are generally considered safe. But recent data has brought the question of whether emulsifier intake is linked to heart problems to light.

Using a French cohort of over 95,000 subjects, researchers used dietary records to assess whether there was an association between intake of emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease.

After an average 7.4 year follow-up, the researchers found that:

Many foods that contain emulsifiers are considered ultra-processed, and they may contain more added sugar and/or salt compared to emulsifier-free foods. Notably, the researchers were able to isolate the role of emulsifiers on heart health from other factors associated with eating ultra-processed foods, suggesting that the observed effects were not due to confounding variables.

Should You Avoid Emulsifiers?

Heart health isn’t the only concern when evaluating emulsifiers. Past data also suggests that intake of certain emulsifiers is linked to negative effects on the gut microbiota, an increase in gastrointestinal inflammation, and gastrointestinal discomfort.“Emulsifiers, especially natural ones, are generally considered safe to eat and undergo frequent FDA testing,” registered dietitianMelissa Mitri, RD, a Connecticut-based dietitian explained. “But since people eat so many processed foods, there are concerns about the overconsumption of emulsifiers.”

A series of studies have called into question the safety of certain emulsifiers and thickeners (namely, carrageenan, polysorbate 80, and carboxymethylcellulose), with their impact on the gut microbiota.These emulsifiers in some food additives can harm the gut microbiome and cause the intestinal tract to become inflamed.

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However, these studies weren’t conducted on humans. Experimental doses of emulsifiers given in animal models are often much higher than average exposure in humans.Therefore, additional human studies are required to confirm the role of emulsifiers in gut inflammation.

Plus, many studies that show negative effects associated with emulsifier intake were only found among those with pre-existing conditions, likeulcerative colitis.

“While most people don’t need to avoid emulsifiers, eating a healthy diet that prioritizes whole, unprocessed foods most of the time will help you naturally limit your emulsifier consumption,” Mitri said.

How To Limit Added Emulsifiers In Your Diet

Some easy kitchen swaps can help you avoid added emulsifiers while cooking.

Milkis a great natural emulsifier.The proteins in milk, especially casein and whey, have the ability to bind both water and oil-based ingredients, making it an excellent emulsifying agent. In baking, milk is often combined with butter (an oil-based ingredient) to create a smooth and uniform batter. When making a cream sauce or soup, the addition of milk can help integrate the water and fat components, resulting in a cohesive and creamy texture. Remember to whisk or blend your ingredients thoroughly to ensure a successful emulsion.

Aquafaba,the viscous water in which chickpeas have been cooked, is another remarkable natural emulsifier that you can make yourself. Rich in proteins and carbohydrates, it can bind water and oil together seamlessly. Its unique properties have made it a popular choice in vegan cuisine, where it often serves as an egg white substitute in recipes due to its ability to foam and set.

You can use aquafaba in various dishes, from meringue and mousse to vegan mayonnaise. Much like milk, aquafaba needs to be whisked or beaten to achieve the desired consistency and stability.

If you want to be more cognizant of the emulsifiers you’re consuming in order to limit them, there are several things you can do:

What This Means For YouIt’s very challenging to avoid emulsifiers altogether, since they’re used in the manufacturing of many common foods. Consuming added emulsifiers once in a while is likely to have a much smaller potential effect on your health than consuming large quantities every day. Emulsifiers may be linked to negative health effects, but more quality data is needed before this can be proven.

What This Means For You

It’s very challenging to avoid emulsifiers altogether, since they’re used in the manufacturing of many common foods. Consuming added emulsifiers once in a while is likely to have a much smaller potential effect on your health than consuming large quantities every day. Emulsifiers may be linked to negative health effects, but more quality data is needed before this can be proven.

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sellem L, Srour B, Javaux G, Chazelas E, Chassaing B, et al.Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study.BMJ. 2023 Sep 6;382:e076058. doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-076058U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Food additive status list.Cox S, Sandall A, Smith L, Rossi M, Whelan K.Food additive emulsifiers: a review of their role in foods, legislation and classifications, presence in food supply, dietary exposure, and safety assessment.Nutr Rev. 2021 May 12;79(6):726-741. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuaa038Martino, John Vincent et al.The Role of Carrageenan and Carboxymethylcellulose in the Development of Intestinal Inflammation.Front Pediatr. 2017 May 1;5:96. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00096

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sellem L, Srour B, Javaux G, Chazelas E, Chassaing B, et al.Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study.BMJ. 2023 Sep 6;382:e076058. doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-076058U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Food additive status list.Cox S, Sandall A, Smith L, Rossi M, Whelan K.Food additive emulsifiers: a review of their role in foods, legislation and classifications, presence in food supply, dietary exposure, and safety assessment.Nutr Rev. 2021 May 12;79(6):726-741. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuaa038Martino, John Vincent et al.The Role of Carrageenan and Carboxymethylcellulose in the Development of Intestinal Inflammation.Front Pediatr. 2017 May 1;5:96. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00096

Sellem L, Srour B, Javaux G, Chazelas E, Chassaing B, et al.Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study.BMJ. 2023 Sep 6;382:e076058. doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-076058U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Food additive status list.Cox S, Sandall A, Smith L, Rossi M, Whelan K.Food additive emulsifiers: a review of their role in foods, legislation and classifications, presence in food supply, dietary exposure, and safety assessment.Nutr Rev. 2021 May 12;79(6):726-741. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuaa038Martino, John Vincent et al.The Role of Carrageenan and Carboxymethylcellulose in the Development of Intestinal Inflammation.Front Pediatr. 2017 May 1;5:96. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00096

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Food additive status list.

Cox S, Sandall A, Smith L, Rossi M, Whelan K.Food additive emulsifiers: a review of their role in foods, legislation and classifications, presence in food supply, dietary exposure, and safety assessment.Nutr Rev. 2021 May 12;79(6):726-741. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuaa038

Martino, John Vincent et al.The Role of Carrageenan and Carboxymethylcellulose in the Development of Intestinal Inflammation.Front Pediatr. 2017 May 1;5:96. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00096

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Key Takeaways#

What Are Emulsifiers?#

Emulsifiers and Heart Health#

Should You Avoid Emulsifiers?#

How To Limit Added Emulsifiers In Your Diet#

What This Means For You#