Food technology has been my passion ever since high school when a friend and I had to test the effect of a popular energy drink on the human heart rate. Ever since then, I've been fascinated by the link between chemistry, physics and health, and food technology brings all these elements together. That's why ingredient interactions was the subject of my Master's degree. After that, I worked for a major medical and infant nutrition brand as a product technologist. I was really lucky because I got to work on every aspect of the innovation pipeline from initial idea to prototype to mass production.

There seems to be a perception that rapeseed lecithin is inferior to soybean and sunflower lecithin. This is originating from the fact that historically, rapeseed lecithin has mainly been used in animal feed and the fact that is is naturally darker in color than soybean and sunflower lecithin and has a stronger, nuttier taste. This might worry food scientists that this ingredient might impact more delicately flavored products. This is despite the fact that rapeseed lecithin contains higher levels of phosphatidylcholine which many food producers believe is better for functionality.

Our experts have put this perception to the test. We tested soybean and rapeseed lecithin in chocolate and assessed the products based on various physical and sensory characteristics. The results showed that rapeseed lecithin has no noticeable effect on the flavor or color of chocolate - including white chocolate. Rapeseed lecithin is closest to the functionality of soybean lecithin in chocolate.

Rapeseed lecithin is therefore a good -and in our opinion unjustified unnoticed- alternative to soybean and sunflower lecithin. It can be used in food applications including chocolate, baked goods and powdered food products. Its functionality depends on the recipe and processing, so expert advice may be needed. With many years of experience with lecithins, Bunge Loders Croklaan experts can help you reformulate your recipe for rapeseed lecithin

In addition to our lecithin know-how, Bunge Loders Croklaan can offer a good supply of rapeseed lecithin moving forward. We source rapeseed in Europe and Australia and process it at our facilities in Germany, Hungary and Poland. As a result, we can offer a stable, uninterrupted supply chain with guaranteed quality, and on top of this, ISCC certified sustainable options are available.

Call on our team of experts to find out how to incorporate rapeseed lecithin in your recipe.