Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (PGEs) are manufactured by esterifying polymerized glycerol with food-grade fatty acids such as stearic, oleic, or palmitic acid under controlled reaction conditions. By varying the degree of glycerol polymerization and the type and degree of fatty acid esterification, manufacturers can produce emulsifiers spanning a wide hydrophilic-lipophilic balance range from 3 to 14.
This tunability makes PGEs one of the most versatile emulsifier families available to the food industry. They are effective at stabilizing both oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions and demonstrate excellent performance in aerated systems. PGEs are increasingly popular as clean-label alternatives to synthetic emulsifiers in premium food formulations.
