Sunflower Lecithin Emulsifier: What It Is and How to Use It
More on: Supplement Buyer's Guides · Sunflower Lecithin Guides
TL;DR: A sunflower lecithin emulsifier is the natural phospholipid listed as "emulsifier (322)" on labels, holding oil and water together in chocolate, bread, dressings and smoothies. It does the same job as soy lecithin, but sunflower is not a declarable allergen in Australia, and international food safety committees have set no upper limit for it. At home, about 0.6 to 0.8% of a dressing's weight stops it separating.
A sunflower lecithin emulsifier is the ingredient listed as "emulsifier (322)" or "sunflower lecithin" on chocolate, bread, margarine and protein powder labels, and it is one of the most common emulsifiers in the food supply.
Short answer: lecithin is a natural mix of phospholipids that holds oil and water together. In Australia it is food additive 322, permitted in food at the level needed to do the job. International food safety committees have not set any upper limit for it. Sunflower lecithin does the same job as soy lecithin, but sunflower is not an allergen that has to be declared on Australian labels, and soy is.
What is a sunflower lecithin emulsifier?
Oil and water do not mix. Shake a bottle of oil and vinegar and they separate within a minute. An emulsifier is an ingredient that sits between the two and stops that from happening.
Lecithin is a group of fat-like molecules called phospholipids. Each one has a head that is attracted to water and a tail that is attracted to oil. In a mixture, they line up along the boundary between oil droplets and water, which keeps the droplets suspended instead of joining back together.1 Sunflower lecithin is lecithin taken from sunflower seeds.
Where does it come from?
When sunflower seeds are processed, lecithin is separated from the oil as a gum. That gum can be sold as liquid lecithin, which still carries a lot of oil, or the oil can be removed to leave a concentrated powder or granule that is almost all phospholipid.1
What does emulsifier 322 mean on a label?
322 is the international code number for lecithin, shown as E322 in Europe. In Australia and New Zealand, lecithin is listed in Schedule 16 of the Food Standards Code as an additive permitted at Good Manufacturing Practice, which means it can be used at the level needed to do its job.2 A label may say "emulsifier (322)", "emulsifier (soy lecithin)" or "emulsifier (sunflower lecithin)".
Is sunflower lecithin emulsifier safe?
The international expert committee on food additives (JECFA) evaluated lecithin in 1973 and set its acceptable daily intake as "not limited".3 In 2017 the European Food Safety Authority re-evaluated lecithins and found no need to set a numerical limit, with no safety concern at the levels used in food.4
The exception is allergy. Anyone allergic to sunflower should avoid sunflower lecithin, and anyone allergic to soy should check whether a "322" is soy.
Sunflower lecithin vs soy lecithin as an emulsifier
In a recipe they behave much the same. The differences are in what comes with them:
| Soy lecithin | Sunflower lecithin | |
|---|---|---|
| Must be declared as an allergen in Australia | Yes. Soy lecithin is not exempt.5 | No. Sunflower is not on the mandatory list.6 |
| Typical on supermarket shelves | Very common | Less common |
| Job in food | Emulsifier, release agent, flow agent | The same |
That allergen difference is the main reason many food makers, and many home cooks avoiding soy, choose sunflower.
Is lecithin vegan and halal?
Lecithin used in food is almost always from plants, usually soy or sunflower, and the Vegetarian Resource Group classes food-use lecithin as vegan.7 The question comes up because lecithin can also be made from egg, and a label that simply says "322" does not tell you the source. Sunflower lecithin is plant-derived. If halal certification matters to you, look for it on the specific product.
How to use sunflower lecithin as an emulsifier at home
- Dressings: about 0.6 to 0.8% of the total weight stops a vinaigrette separating. For a 250 mL jar, that is a scant teaspoon of powder.
- Chocolate: 0.3 to 0.5% of the chocolate weight makes melted chocolate flow more easily.8
- Bread: about 0.2 to 0.5% of the flour weight, as a dough conditioner.1
- Gluten-free baking: lecithin increased loaf volume and gave a softer gluten-free bread in testing.9
- Smoothies and nut milks: a pinch helps oils and nut butters blend and stay mixed.
Powdered lecithin is easiest at home, because the oil has been removed and it whisks straight into dry ingredients. If you mainly want it for the kitchen, our page on sunflower lecithin for baking has a flour-weight table for bread.
Frequently asked questions
Is lecithin an emulsifier or a supplement?
Both. The same ingredient is used in small amounts as an emulsifier in food, and in larger amounts as a food in its own right, usually stirred into drinks or breakfast.
Is emulsifier 322 always soy?
No. 322 is lecithin from any source. In Australia, if it comes from soy, soy must be declared on the label.
Is sunflower lecithin a seed oil?
No. Sunflower oil is the pressed cooking oil. Lecithin is a different part of the seed, used in gram amounts, and the powdered form has had the oil removed.
Where can I buy sunflower lecithin as an emulsifier?
Most lecithin in Australian supermarkets is soy. You can buy sunflower lecithin powder from us, delivered Australia wide.
About the author
Grant Jenkins is a director of Propel Health Australia, an Australian, family-owned company, and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. Every figure quoted for our product in this article is the figure on our printed label.
Disclaimer
This article is general information about lecithin as a food and food ingredient. It is not medical advice. Anyone with a sunflower allergy should avoid sunflower lecithin. Speak to your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.
References
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Lecithin, de-oiled: Technical Evaluation Report (Handling/Processing). January 2023.
- Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, Schedule 16, section S16-2, Additives permitted at GMP.
- JECFA. Lecithin (INS 322), 17th meeting, 1973. IPCS INCHEM.
- EFSA ANS Panel, Mortensen A, et al. Re-evaluation of lecithins (E 322) as a food additive. EFSA Journal. 2017;15(4):e04742.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Allergen labelling exemptions.
- Safe Food Queensland. Understanding plain English allergen labelling (PEAL) for packaged food.
- Yacoubou J. Lecithin. Vegetarian Resource Group blog, 8 April 2015.
- Afoakwa EO, Paterson A, Fowler M. Effects of particle size distribution and composition on rheological properties of dark chocolate. European Food Research and Technology. 2008;226:1259-68.
- Demirkesen I, Mert B, Sumnu G, Sahin S. Rheological properties of gluten-free bread formulations. Journal of Food Engineering. 2010;96(2):295-303.
