How to make high-quality non-dairy creamers

Choosing the right key ingredients

As shown in Table 1, glucose syrup is a key ingredient in non-dairy creamers (NDC). During our trials, we have noticed that it is important to keep the total solid content of the glucose syrup between 69-72% as more energy is required to pump it during manufacturing with a higher content of total solids. Equally, the dextrose equivalent used should be as low as possible as the higher the dextrose equivalent, the lower the heat resistance of the glucose syrup and subsequent higher risk of burning or browning during production. This may in turn affect the colour and taste of the finished NDC.

Most non-dairy creamers contain vegetable fats which substitute for dairy fats and add texture, flavour and opacity. The most commonly used fats in the South-East Asian region are hydrogenated palm kernel oil, hydrogenated coconut oil or combinations of the two. The fats are chosen based on the desired creaminess, taste, and mouthfeel influenced by the melting point, solid fat index, food legislation, oxidative stability, and economic considerations. Palsgaard’s applications team in Mexico has recently developed a concept recipe for a vegan, UHT coffee creamer made from sesame seeds, which is available for testing by manufacturers looking to explore new fat sources.

Emulsifiers for non-dairy creamers

The emulsifiers used in non-dairy creamers are typically mono- and diglycerides (E471) produced by the reaction of edible vegetable fats or oils when combined with glycerol. The resulting molecule is composed of a hydrophilic and a lipophilic part, positioned at the interface between fat and protein on the one hand, and water on the other. Typically, emulsifiers reduce the interfacial tension between oil/water or air/water and enhance emulsion stability.

The mono and diglycerides (MDG/DMG) form a complex with the proteins, making the fat globule membrane more resistant to coalescence, and reducing fat separation in the product at the same time. More importantly, and perhaps somewhat counter-intuitively, the emulsifiers also guard against creaming in the finished product.

Another common emulsifier used in NDC is Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL) (E481) to ensure good dispersion and whitening power. SSL is manufactured by the esterification of stearic acid with lactic acid and partially neutralised with either food-grade soda ash (sodium carbonate) or caustic soda (concentrated sodium hydroxide). SSL is slightly hygroscopic, soluble in ethanol and in hot oil or fat, and dispersible in warm water. These properties are the reason that SSL is an excellent emulsifier for oil-in-water emulsions.

MDG/DMG and SSL have different qualities and thus affect the end result of the NDC differently. MDG/DMGs are more lipophilic, so they attach more to the fat phase, whereas SSL is an ionic emulsifier and can form dielectric bonds to amino groups in protein but also form hydrogen bondings and Van der Waals bondings.

In practice, this means that by combining the qualities of both emulsifiers you will create a better emulsion, where the protein and emulsifier will form a physical barrier between the oil droplet and the surroundings which reduces the incidence of emulsion destabilisation.

Combining the right type of MDG/DMG with the right type of SSL and defining the right dosage is another matter as they will offer different results regarding dispersibility, whitening effect, mouthfeel and emulsion stability.

How to achieve good dispersibility

Creating non-dairy creamer powders with good dispersibility and wettability can be a challenge and is highly dependent on the choice of emulsifier as well as the production process and the quality of the agglomeration.

The dispersibility of a non-dairy creamer is affected by several parameters during the production process:

1. The stability of the emulsion created during wet mixing, as a stable emulsion will result in a constant particle size. An unstable emulsion will break down, creating phase separation. The stability of the emulsion will depend on the emulsifier type, the dosage, and the homogenisation process.
2. The spraying temperature and subsequently the moisture content of the spray-dried product – if the moisture content is too high, there is greater risk of lumping which will again affect the dispersibility. 
3. The effect of the agglomeration – as a stable agglomerated product will have less breakage as a result of a good capillary system and will therefore be dispersed more easily. 

Emulsifier effect on whitening

Emulsifiers play a key role in creating a good whitening effect in the NDC as it all comes down to creating many small oil droplets to reflect light in the coffee.

The emulsifiers are fundamental in stabilising the formed small oil droplets during the spray drying process.

Once the NDC is dissolved in the coffee and the oil droplets have been released, emulsifiers also have a key role to play as the environment is completely different from that of the emulsion before spraying with regards to temperatures and acidity.

It is therefore highly important that the emulsifiers used can ensure functionality and stability in both environments. Emulsifiers such as SSL work well in acidic environments and help keep the fat globules small and stable. Sodium caseinate also has a stabilising effect.

Overcoming oiling

Imagine adding a non-dairy creamer to your coffee only to find it causing big, unpalatable oil droplets to form on the surface of your coffee. This is not a situation many consumers would like to experience, which is why creating an NDC that doesn’t cause oil separation is high on the wish list of most manufacturers.

There is, however, a solution to this problem, which is caused by an unstable emulsion between the fats used and the water in the NDC. By using high-quality emulsifiers of the right dosage and type it is possible to create a strong, stable emulsion that will work all the way from emulsion tank to spray drying and agglomeration to being dispersed into the coffee.

It is also important to homogenise the NDC emulsion sufficiently before spray drying.

Sustainability as a key ingredient

When choosing the right ingredients for their NDCs there is another ingredient that manufacturers are increasingly required to add to their shopping list: Sustainability. By choosing Palsgaard, manufacturers will get a partner fully dedicated to CSR. The company already has CO₂-neutral production across its 6 global factories. Equally, Palsgaard has gone all-in on sustainable palm oil and is able to offer its full product range based on RSPO-certified segregated palm oil.

Let’s help you make the right choice!

From the above, it is easy to conclude that a good emulsifier combination of MDG/DMG and SSL will help manufacturers create a good non-dairy creamer. The tricky bit lies in choosing which MDG/DMG to combine with what SSL and what dosage to use as they each have different abilities within emulsion stability, dispersibility, mouthfeel and whitening effect. Palsgaard will be happy to advise NDC manufacturers on the choice of emulsifiers just as we’ll make a series of NDC recipes based on our emulsifiers available for testing. 

Should you like to know more, please contact our NDC specialists at Palsgaard Asia-Pacific on +65 6661 0460