How Lecithin China is produced

Lecithin China is one of the most important derivatives of soybean processing. The crude soy oil contains an average of 1.8% hydratable compounds, primarily lecithin phosphatides. Through a process called “degumming,” the sludge (the gummy material) is separated from the crude soy oil by the use of a centrifuge.

The result is a lecithin China and water emulsion containing 25-50% water, which may be bleached typically with hydrogen peroxide in order to reduce its color from brown or beige to light yellow. Some manufacturers add fluidizing additives such as soy oil, fatty acids, or calcium chloride to the product in order to reduce the viscosity to that of honey and prevent it, on cooling, from becoming a highly plastic solid. Lastly, the lecithin China product is film or batch dried to reduce the moisture to as little as 1%.
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