Miller Magazine Issue 146 February 2022

66 COVER STORY MILLER / FEBRUARY 2022 The baking and milling industry is currently facing price increases for emulsifiers, along with shortages in supply. The reasons for these are manifold. The global logistics situation is still tight and freight costs are high; in addition, prices for almost all vegetable oils including palm oil continue to rise, as production declines and supply is limited. As of today, in January 2022, the European market price of palm oil has dou- bled since July 2021. However, palm oil is an essential basic raw material for various emulsifiers, for instance for the mono- and diglycerides that are used as such or as raw materi- als for other emulsifiers. Additionally, there is a global shortage of tartaric acid, which is expected to contin- ue throughout the year. This affects the availability of diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides (DATEM), which is a reaction product of acetic acid and tartaric acid with mono- and diglycerides. DATEM is a preferred emulsifier for flour treatment, and a dough improver. Millers and bakers are facing limit- ed availability and increasing prices of DATEM, while their need for emulsifiers remains unchanged. THE MAGIC OF ENZYMES Enzymes can be suitable alternatives for emulsifiers, and provide a remedy for the current market situation. The function of emulsifiers is to combine water-loving Mühlenchemie’s newMulgazym product range helps the milling industry cope with price increases and shortages of emulsifiers Smart solution: Emulsifier replacement with enzymes Figure 1: Gas cell stabilization by lipids, proteins and arabinoxylans