How It's Made
Key facts
- Name on labels (INCI)
- Lecithin (E322)
- Also called
- E322, Lecithin, Phospholipids
- E number
- E322
- Grade to ask for
- Food grade, liquid or powder
A golden, honey-thick emulsifier made from soybean oil.
What it does
- Emulsifier
- Keeps oil and water from separating in spreads, margarine and dressings.
- Viscosity reducer in chocolate
- Lowers the thickness of molten chocolate, saving cocoa butter and improving moulding.
- Wetting agent
- Helps fatty powders such as cocoa drinks and milk powders disperse in water.
- Release and anti-sticking agent
- Used in baking and pan-release sprays.
Products on How It's Made that use soy lecithin
| Product | Its role there |
|---|---|
| Cocoa hazelnut spread | Emulsifier. |
| Shortbread biscuits | Emulsifier. An emulsifier that helps the fat spread evenly and the dough release from moulds. |
| Cream sandwich biscuits | Emulsifier. An emulsifier that helps the fat spread through the dough and the biscuits release from the moulds. |
| Milk chocolate bar | Flow. An emulsifier used at a fraction of a percent to thin the melted chocolate so it flows into moulds with less cocoa butter. |
| Dark chocolate bar | Flow. Thins the molten chocolate so less cocoa butter is needed to make it flow into moulds. |
| White chocolate bar | Flow. An emulsifier that helps the chocolate flow during processing and moulding. |
| Chocolate wafer bar | Release and flow. Helps the batter release from the baking plates and makes the chocolate flow. |
On How It's Made, soy lecithin appears in milk, dark and white chocolate, cocoa hazelnut spread, chocolate wafers and shortbread.
Grades and specifications
- Liquid lecithin
- Standard fluid grade for chocolate and spreads.
- Powder and de-oiled lecithin
- For dry blends and instant powders.
- Non-GM and sunflower lecithin
- Specified by brands that want to avoid genetically modified soy or soy allergens.
Handling, safety and regulation
Liquid lecithin is viscous and is warmed for pumping. Soy is an allergen that must be declared on labels; sunflower lecithin avoids this.
Authorised as E322 in the EU and listed in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives. Food products in Nigeria need NAFDAC registration.
Where soy lecithin comes from
Lecithin was first extracted from egg yolk; today most comes from soybean oil refining. Nigeria grows significant volumes of soybeans, but most food-grade lecithin is still imported from large oilseed processors.
Sourcing soy lecithin through Matta
Send Matta a request with the grade, quantity and delivery location you need. For the wider category, see Matta's ingredients page.
Listings found on matta.trade, read 27 Oct 2026. Prices are a snapshot, not live; the listing is always the final word. Different suppliers and grades: compare prices only where the unit matches.
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