lecithin
Additives & Leavening
Trigger checker for lecithin
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Serving size, prep, and portion notes for lecithin
Lecithin (E322) is the emulsifier that keeps chocolate glossy, margarine stable and salad dressing from separating, and the whole page really comes down to one question: which lecithin. In most products it is soy lecithin, which is why chocolate bars carry a soy allergen declaration; sunflower lecithin is the common allergen-free replacement, and egg-derived lecithin turns up in a handful of formulations. The lecithin itself is graded clean across histamine, salicylate, FODMAPs, lactose and gluten. It is the plant it came from, not the emulsifier, that decides whether it belongs on your avoid list.
Watch for
Soy lecithin is the fat fraction of the bean and retains only trace soy protein, so most people with soy allergy tolerate it. It is still declared as soy on labels in the US and EU, and anyone with a severe reaction history should settle it with an allergist rather than by trial and error / A soy declaration on chocolate is almost always the lecithin. Bars finished with sunflower lecithin, or with none at all, are the straightforward workaround and are widely sold as free-from chocolate / Low FODMAP as graded, which surprises people who avoid soy for gut reasons. The galacto-oligosaccharides in soybeans sit in the protein and carbohydrate fraction, not in the extracted fat, so soy lecithin does not carry them across / It is not one of the emulsifiers implicated in the gut-barrier research. That work centres on polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose, and lecithin is a naturally occurring phospholipid found in egg yolk and every cell membrane you have
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FAQ
What does the FODMAP rating mean for lecithin?
Low FODMAP: usually easier for most people, still watch portion size.
Is lecithin generally well tolerated?
Histamine (Safe) and Histamine Liberators (Safe) Start with those if you react.
What should I check next?
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