Soy Lecithin

Soy lecithin is a mixture of fatty, water-and-oil-loving phospholipid compounds, chiefly phosphatidylcholine among several others, obtained from soybean oil through a process called water degumming, in which water is used to separate these phospholipids out of the crude oil. In food manufacturing it works as an emulsifier and lubricant, most visibly in chocolate and other confectionery, where it lowers the viscosity of melted chocolate and helps control how sugar crystallizes, and in margarines and spreads, where it stabilizes the mixture of fat and water and reduces spattering during frying. Within the European Union it carries the food additive code E322, and because of consumer concern about genetically modified soybeans, some manufacturers now offer lecithin sourced from sunflower seeds instead.