The word lecithin was taken from the Ancient Greek word lekithos meaning “yolk” and it serves much of the same purpose.
However, as a personal baker, you can find small bottles of lecithin granules made from 100 percent soybeans, as well as sunflower lecithin in soft gels.
These are sold in the supplement section at any health food market or grocery store.
Is Lecithin Carried in Stores?
Typically, in retail places, lecithin is not sold on the shelves with standard baking items. However, sometimes you can find lecithin as an ingredient from a company like Bob’s Red Mill.
This would be in the health food section of any grocery store or sold online. Soy lecithin is also available in a 40-pound sized container from places that sell ingredients for baking recipes.
Liquid soy lecithin is also sold in wholesale or bulk sizes and available for personal and professional chefs. It can be stored for up to three years in the right conditions and environment.
This is a great ingredient to use in place of egg yolks when baking vegan foods. Lecithin serves to bind liquids including fats and water to create a smooth texture.
This also serves to help with boosting structure in baked goods like cookies and cakes.
For baking, lecithin is a nutrient enhancer as well, thanks to the plethora of vitamins and minerals including choline and omega-3 fatty acids contained within the soy-based version.
Individuals looking for lecithin for personal baking purposes may be able to find a small amount in stores.
However, it is crucial to understand what lecithin is and where it comes from to ensure you are getting a high-quality ingredient.
This starts with 100 percent soy or sunflower oil used to make lecithin. Also, consider the supplier of the lecithin product to determine if they are offering consistent and fresh products that are safe to use.
What if I Need Lecithin for My Bakery or Business?
Businesses and bakeries that want to promote healthier products can use lecithin for a variety of uses.
From wetting and dispersing solid and liquid ingredients in baked goods, to increasing nutritional value, soy lecithin offers much promise.
However, your goal is to ensure that your commercial business is providing customers with safe ingredients.
Ingredient purchases need to come through a wholesale or bulk vendor and a third-party distributor.
This provides your company with a track record needed to manage inventory and quality control for your end product.
There are many ways to find wholesale suppliers of lecithin in the US that are safe, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for commercial purposes and recipes.
When purchasing lecithin to use in your bakery or business, this is one place to start your search.
The FDA will require any of your ingredients in baked goods to have a commercially approved distributor and paperwork to match.
Here is where starting your search with USA Chemical Suppliers (USCS) is a sound idea.
The USCS features a list of soy lecithin suppliers in the USA that sell soy lecithin powder, oil, and granules for commercial businesses.
Learn about the different forms of soy lecithin that is used for businesses and sold through wholesale distributors.
For example, soybean lecithin granules, which is a de-oiled powdered lecithin, “Reduce the hydrophobic nature of flour dough, prevent aging, bring it back to life, improve expanding property and decrease oil penetration.”
The use of soy lecithin is also beneficial for making instant noodles and shelf stable noodles, such as instant ramen.
Lecithin can also be added to healthy baked foods to, “Regulate blood fat, invigorate the brain, promote intelligence, prevent and treat fatty liver, and delay senility and other physiological functions.”
By choosing a distributor to find wholesale lecithin products for commercial purposes, you ensure the highest quality of ingredients go into each batch of your baked goods.
Get High-Quality Lecithin for Your Needs
Contact National Lecithin today to request a quote and a sample of soy or sunflower lecithin to use in your baked products.
Whether you are an amateur baker or a commercial bakery owner, we have the soy lecithin and sunflower lecithin that your baking goods demand.
Contact us today to get more information.