Surfactants: Basics and Versatility in Food Industries

Rakesh Sharma

Rakesh Sharma The M. S. University of Baroda

Keywords: Surfactants, Fatty Acids, Monoglycerides, Emulsifiers, Food Industries

Abstract

Surfactant, as an abbreviation of “surface active agent”, is an organic compound that is amphiphilic comprising both hydrophilic groups(commonly referred to as “polar heads”) and hydrophobic groups(“nonpolar tails”). Based on the electron charges of the polar head parts, surfactants are classified as anionic, cationic, nonionic, zwitterionic. Many other pecular class of compounds also categorized in the types of gemini, cyclodextrin based, polymeric surfactants etc. Due to their some interesting properties such as nontoxicity, higher rate of biodegradability, high foaming capacity and optimal activity at extreme conditions like temperatures, pH and salinity, surfactants have been increasingly attracting the attention of the scientific and industrial community. Biocompatible, biodegradable, and/or nontoxic emulsion-based formulations of surfactants have great potential for applications in the food preparation and processing. Basics of surfactants and mainly there way of utility as food emulsifiers in food industries is thoroughly discussed.

Author Biography

Rakesh Sharma, The M. S. University of Baroda

Department,
Faculty of Technology & Engineering,
The M. S. University of Baroda,
Vadodara, Gujarat, India.

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