Ammonium Phosphatides
What it does
Emulsifier in chocolate.
How it's made
Manufactured from glycerol and fatty acids.
Ammonium phosphatides are emulsifiers used mainly in chocolate and similar coatings, where they help control how the melted chocolate flows and prevent the fat and other ingredients separating. They are a manufactured emulsifier designed specifically to do the job lecithin does but with particular performance in cocoa-based products.
They are made from food-grade fats — typically partially hardened rapeseed or other vegetable oil — which are reacted with glycerol and phosphoric acid to build a phosphatide structure, and then neutralised with ammonia to form the ammonium salt. The result is a lecithin-like emulsifier tailored for chocolate.
The product is purified and standardised for use, and supplied as a waxy material. It is used specifically as an alternative or partner to lecithin in chocolate, helping manufacturers get the right viscosity and smoothness, and its permitted uses are focused on cocoa and chocolate products.
Possible reactions
Generally safe.