GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE
GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE
E471
Synonyms: Glycerol monostearate; Glycerin monostearate; Glycerine monostearate; GMS; E471; E 471; Monostearin; 2,3-Dihydroxypropyl octadecanoate; 2,3-dihydroxypropyl stearate; 2-Hydroxyethyl octadecanoate; Glycerol 1-stearate
Stearic acid, monoester with glycerol
EC / List no.: 250-705-4
CAS no.: 31566-31-1
EC / List no.: 204-664-4
CAS no.: 123-94-4
Chemical formula: C21H42O4
Molar mass: 358.563 g·mol−1
Appearance: White solid
Density: 1.03 g/cm3
Glyceryl Monostearate or Glycerol monostearate is commonly called GMS.
Glyceryl Monostearate is a widely used nonionic emulsifier in food with the European food additive number E471.
It belongs to the emulsifier category of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids.
GMS is largely used in baking preparations to add "body" to the food.
It is somewhat responsible for giving ice cream and whipped cream their smooth texture. It is sometimes used as an anti-staling agent in bread.
Glyceryl Monostearate may also contain glycerol mono-, di-, and triester of (palmitic acid or other fatty acids) present in commercial stearic acid.
Types of Glyceryl Monostearate
According to the content of glycerol monostearate, GMS is generally classified into three types in the market:
GMS 40: the assay of glycerol monostearate not less than 40%
GMS 60: the assay of glycerol monostearate not less than 60%
DGM (distilled glycerol monostearate), which has the highest level, not less than 90%
Glyceryl Monostearate can be synthesized in two ways, as mentioned in the manufacturing processes of mono- and diglycerides:
Transesterification process: glycerolysis reaction between fats/oils (hydrogenated oil included) and glycerol (3)
Direct esterification process: esterification between glycerol and the fatty acid – stearic acid
The above raw materials are from the edible sources: animal fats/oils or vegetable oils, especially from the latter, such as palm, rapeseed, soya bean and sunflower oil.
White powder, flake, or bead with a slight acidic smell.
Solubility and HLB
Glyceryl Monostearate has a low HLB value of 3-4; it is insoluble in water, but soluble in hot oils and hot organic solvents.
Due to its low HLB, it is lipophilic and forms water-in-oil emulsions (w/o).
What are the Uses of Glyceryl Monostearate?
Common uses of food-grade Glyceryl Monostearate include it as an emulsifier, stabilizer, and humectant, such as in bakery, confectionery, frozen desserts, oils, and fats.
Food
The following are some foods with Glyceryl Monostearate and its various purposes:
Breads: improve the softness and retard starch retrogradation and therefore extend the shelf life.
Cakes: used as a foam-promoting emulsifier in cakes to stabilize air bubbles in the batter and reduce the fat content in cakes.
GMS acts as a fat replacer, holding water.
Biscuit: prevents oil from separating.
Pasta: anti-stickiness.
Ice cream: prevents the formation of large ice crystals, stabilizes the structure, improves mouthfeel, and provides a creamy texture.
Caramels, toffees, and chocolate: reduce stickiness and prevent sugar crystallization.
Chewing gum: improve the softness of the gum base.
Bodybuilding Supplement: prevents dehydration and helps muscle cells to absorb nutritional ingredients (e.g., creatine monohydrate) during bodybuilding. Therefore, it enhances muscle pumps, volume, and endurance.
Uses of Glyceryl Monostearate in food
One of its main uses as a common food additive is as an emulsifier.
Glyceryl Monostearate is a substance that helps to mix two immiscible substances (such as oil and water) that would otherwise separate.
In baked goods such as cakes, cookies, and bread, it prevents the fat from separating from the other ingredients, resulting in a more uniform texture and a longer shelf life.
It also helps to keep baked goods moist, making them fresh and delicious for longer.
In dairy products, Glyceryl Monostearate can be used to prevent ice crystal formation in ice cream, giving it a smooth, creamy texture (very important!). It also stabilizes whipped cream, preventing it from defoaming quickly. Additionally, in margarine and spreads, GMS acts as an emulsifier, blending the oil and water components to ensure a uniform, easy-to-spread product.
Glyceryl Monostearate is also used as a thickener in many foods.
In salad dressings, sauces, and condiments, Glyceryl Monostearate increases the product's thickness and viscosity, making it easier to pour and coat food evenly.
Glyceryl Monostearate helps prevent ingredient separation in these products, keeping the mixture uniform throughout.
Another important use of GMS in food is as a crystal modifier. In confectionery products such as chocolate and candy, it controls the crystallization process of fat. By regulating the formation of fat crystals, the texture, gloss, and crispness of chocolate can be improved, thus enhancing the overall eating experience.
Glyceryl Monostearate is mainly produced from vegetable oils (such as soybean, grapeseed, canola, sunflower, cottonseed, coconut, and palm oil) and plant pomace such as grape pomace or tomato pomace), although animal fats are sometimes used and cannot be completely excluded as being present in the product.
The fatty acids from each source are chemically identical.
The Vegan Society, which discourages eating animal-based foods, flags E471 as potentially animal based
Substance names and other identifiers
glycerol monostearate
Octadecanoic acid, monoester with 1,2,3-propanetriol
Stearic acid, monoester with glycerol
EC Inventory
stearic acid, monoester with glycerol
IUPAC names
1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl octadecanoate 2,3-dihydroxypropyl octadecanoate
2,3-dihydroxypropyl octadecanoate
2,3-dihydroxypropyloctadecanoate
2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethyl stearate
Glycerin mono/di palmitat stearat
Glycerol monostearate
Glycerol monostearate; GMS
GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE
Glyceryl Monostearate
Glyceryl monostearate
Glyceryl stearate
GMS
Octadecanoic acid, monoester with 1,2,3-propanetriol
Stearic acid, monoester with glycerol
Stearic Acid, monoester with glycerol (glycerol monostearate)
Trade names
Dimodan
Ekömul Flex Series
GLYCERIN STEARATE
Grindsted
Kemester 150V
Kemester 84 Vegetable
Kemester 84V
Kemester MST
MASESTER GMS 40-NSE
MASESTER GMS 50
MASESTER GMS 60
E471, which is also referred to as mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids, consists of a group of well-known food ingredients listed by the European Union as category 1 food ingredients.
E471 is commonly used in food products as an emulsifier, and/or stabiliser, and/or anti-staling agent.
E471 (mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids) are synthetic fats produced from glycerol and natural fatty acids of either plant or animal origin.
The glycerides used in E471 are:
mono-glycerides, both saturated and non-saturated
di-glycerides, both saturated and non-saturated
any combination of mono- and di-glycerides
According to the European Commission Directive 2008/84/EC of 27 August 2008, laying down specific purity criteria for food additives other than colours and sweeteners, E471 must contain not less than 70% of mono- and diglycerides.
E471 is also available in a trans-fat-free quality.
E471, in its commonly used form, contains 60%-100% mono-glycerides.
The other 40% - 0% of the commonly used form of E471 is di-glycerides.
E471 is mostly purchased in powder form. As an emulsifier and/or stabiliser, this powder is dissolved in a fluid or dough (e.g., bread dough) at a low concentration (up to 2%).
Other examples of food products containing E471 as an emulsifier and/or stabiliser include: cakes, hot-chocolate mix, aerosol creams, shaped crisps, quick custard mix, dehydrated potato, and sponge puddings.
Also, E471 is used, where the foaming power of egg protein needs to be retained in the presence of fat, as well as in baked goods, as an 'anti-staling' agent that prevents the loss of water from starches.
E471 has never been tested nor used in its pure form as a coating agent for food ingredients.
In literature, E471 is only described as an emulsifier, stabilizer, or anti-staling agent. Neither have the effects of E471 treatment at elevated temperatures in combination with the mentioned industrial coating application been described in the literature.
