Surfactants – Nonionic

Nonionic surfactants are the workhorse food emulsifiers: uncharged molecules that lower interfacial tension between oil and water so an emulsion resists creaming and separation. RawSource's nonionic line for food and beverage is the polysorbate and sorbitan-ester set (Tween 20, 40, 60, 80, and 85, plus Span 60) together with self-emulsifying glyceryl monostearate.

Selection runs on HLB, and that is where the one real trade-off sits. A high-HLB polysorbate such as Tween 80 (HLB about 15) stabilizes oil-in-water dressings, beverage clouds, and frozen-dessert mixes, but a single grade rarely matches a given system's required HLB. Pairing a high-HLB polysorbate with a low-HLB sorbitan ester (Span 60, HLB about 4.7) lets you dial the blend to target, at the cost of running a two-component emulsifier system.

Pick the grade by the job: Tween 20 for solubilizing flavor oils into clear drinks, Tween 60 for whipped and bakery emulsions, and glyceryl monostearate to complex starch and slow crumb staling. These are regulated food additives with permitted-use limits. Confirm grade documentation and regulatory status for your application and jurisdiction.

• Oil-in-water stabilization of dressings, sauces, and beverage emulsions
• Flavor-oil and oil-soluble active solubilization into clear beverages (high-HLB polysorbates)
• Whipped toppings, icings, and aerated bakery emulsions
• HLB-matched emulsifier blends pairing high-HLB polysorbates with low-HLB sorbitan esters
• Starch complexation and crumb-softening in bread and cake (glyceryl monostearate)

• Polysorbate 80 — PubChem
• Polysorbate 60 — PubChem
• Polysorbate 20 — PubChem
• Polysorbate 40 — PubChem
• Polysorbate 85 — PubChem
• Sorbitan monostearate (Span 60) — PubChem
• Glyceryl monostearate — PubChem