De-oiled Lecithin, Soy or Sunflower
Lecithins (phosphatides) · CAS 8002-43-5 · E322 / INS 322
De-oiled lecithin granules and powder from soybean or sunflower gum, to EU Reg. 231/2012 E322 purity. Vegan. Soy grade is a declarable allergen; sunflower grade is not.
Specifications
| Identity | Lecithins, E322 / INS 322. Mixtures or fractions of phosphatides obtained by physical procedures from vegetable foodstuffs, per EU Reg. 231/2012. |
| CAS / EINECS | CAS 8002-43-5; EINECS 232-307-2. No single molecular formula: lecithin is a phosphatide mixture, not a discrete compound. |
| Source | Soybean (Glycine max) or sunflower (Helianthus annuus) gum from water-degummed crude oil. Grade must be specified at order. |
| Form and appearance | De-oiled free-flowing granules or powder, light yellow to tan, with a bland characteristic odour. Fluid lecithin available separately. |
| Acetone-insoluble matter | E322 regulatory minimum is 60.0%. Thovek de-oiled grade offered at 95% minimum, agreed on the contract specification. |
| Loss on drying | Max 2.0% (105 °C, 1 hour), per EU Reg. 231/2012. |
| Toluene-insoluble matter | Max 0.3%, per EU Reg. 231/2012. |
| Acid value | Max 35 mg potassium hydroxide per gram, per EU Reg. 231/2012. |
| Peroxide value | 10 or less, per EU Reg. 231/2012. |
| Heavy metals | Arsenic max 3 mg/kg, lead max 2 mg/kg, mercury max 1 mg/kg, per EU Reg. 231/2012. |
| Phosphatide profile | Soy: published PC 19-21%, PE 8-20%, PI 20-21%. Sunflower profile differs and is reported per lot, not inferred from soy. |
| US regulatory status | Commercial lecithin is affirmed GRAS under 21 CFR 184.1400 where it meets Food Chemicals Codex specifications. |
| Allergen status | Soy grade: declarable, EU Reg. 1169/2011 Annex II item 6, not covered by the refined-oil exemption. Sunflower grade: not listed in Annex II. |
| Dietary status and shelf life | Vegan and vegetarian, plant-derived; not egg or marine lecithin. 24 months sealed, below 25 °C, dry and out of direct light. |
| HS code | 2923.20 (29232010) |
Lecithins are defined in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as mixtures or fractions of phosphatides obtained by physical procedures from animal or vegetable foodstuffs. Ours are vegetable: the gum recovered when crude soybean or sunflower oil is water-degummed, then de-oiled with acetone to leave a dry, free-flowing granule or powder instead of the sticky fluid lecithin. US FDA describes commercial lecithin at 21 CFR 184.1400 as a naturally occurring mixture of the phosphatides of choline, ethanolamine and inositol with smaller amounts of other lipids, affirmed GRAS against Food Chemicals Codex specifications. Published figures for the soy phosphatide profile put phosphatidylcholine at 19-21%, phosphatidylethanolamine at 8-20% and phosphatidylinositol at 20-21%; the sunflower profile differs and is confirmed on each lot rather than assumed from the soy figures.
De-oiling is what makes this a dry-blending ingredient. Fluid lecithin meets the same E322 identity but handles as a viscous gum; the de-oiled granule flows, doses and blends, and carries a much higher acetone-insoluble content than the 60.0% regulatory floor. Its established food-technology functions are emulsification, wetting and instantizing of powders, anti-dusting, viscosity control in chocolate and compound coatings, dough handling in bakery, release from baking surfaces, and use as a phospholipid carrier in liposomal and nanoemulsion systems. We describe it on those functions and on its phospholipid composition only, and make no therapeutic or metabolic claim for it.
Source choice is an allergen decision, not a preference. Soy lecithin falls under EU Regulation 1169/2011 Annex II item 6, soybeans and products thereof; the exemptions there cover fully refined soybean oil and fat, soy-derived tocopherols, phytosterols and plant stanol esters, and lecithin is not among them, so it must be declared. Sunflower does not appear anywhere in Annex II, which is precisely why brands reformulating away from a declarable allergen move to the sunflower grade. Both grades are plant-derived and suit vegan and vegetarian positioning; neither is egg or marine lecithin. Tell us the grade at enquiry, because the two are not interchangeable on a finished-product label.
Applications
Chocolate and compound viscosityInstantizing protein powdersWetting and anti-dusting agentBakery dough conditioningPan and mould release agentsEmulsifier for dressings and beveragesLiposomal and nanoemulsion carriersPhospholipid supplement ingredientTablet and capsule processing aid
Available grades
De-oiled soy lecithin granules or powder; de-oiled sunflower lecithin granules or powder; non-GMO identity-preserved supply on both sources; certified organic (NOP, EU) sunflower on request. Food, beverage and supplement grades. Fluid and hydrolysed lecithins quoted separately.
Packaging: 20 kg and 25 kg multiwall kraft paper bags with a food-grade PE inner liner, or 25 kg fibre drums with liner. 500 kg and 1000 kg FIBCs on request. Palletised and stretch-wrapped for container shipment; keep dry and sealed, as de-oiled lecithin picks up moisture and cakes.
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