Sodium salt of starch octenylsuccinate as an emulsifier in "light" type mayonnaises

The E 1450 sodium salt of starch octenylsuccinate which exhibits emulsifying properties is used as food additive and is also recommended as yolk replacer in the process of mayonnaise production. Commercial E 1450 preparations reveal excellent functional properties in mayonnaise production. However, sodium salt of starch octenylsuccinate produced in the course of the suspension process (as well as the product of its hydrolysis in a membrane reactor), despite high surface activity, is unsuitable for this purpose. Therefore, a hypothesis was put forward that the cause of the unsuitability of these preparations for mayonnaise production is their improper profile of molecular mass distribution and the objective of this study was to verify the above thesis.

E 1450 preparations of different degree of substitution obtained alternately by means of reactive extrusion or enzymatic hydrolysis preceded by esterification in suspension were investigated. Preparations were characterised physico-chemically by determining the degree of substitution, viscosity, emulsifying activity index (EAI) and their capability to stabilise model emulsions (ME). Their molecular mass distribution profiles were determined and their suitability for the manufacture of low-fat mayonnaises was assessed. These investigations were also carried out for mixtures of preparations obtained as a result of a reactive extrusion and hydrolysis of the ester obtained during the suspension process.

Despite the fact that the preparations obtained in suspension were characterised by 100% values of the ES parameter, all attempts to manufacture with their assistance of mayonnaise by way of a simple substitution in the formulation of dried egg yolk by E 1450 starch failed. Similarly, attempts to manufacture mayonnaise using any of the preparations obtained by means of reactive extrusion or enzymatic hydrolysis of the reaction product in suspension also ended in failure. The only successful solution was the application of equilibrium mixtures of E 1450 preparations obtained by way of reactive extrusion with a hydrolisate. Table 2 collates texture parameters of the obtained mayonnaises.

The performed investigations fully corroborated the correctness of the proposed hypothesis that the suitability of the starch octenylsuccinate sodium salt as an emulsifier for low-fat mayonnaises is associated with the appropriately high polydispersity of this polymer.