Emulsifier

An emulsifier is a substance that helps form or stabilize an emulsion, a mixture of liquids that do not normally combine. It commonly acts at the boundary between the liquids.

Emulsion: A mixture in which droplets of one liquid are dispersed throughout another liquid that does not normally mix with it. An emulsifier helps create or stabilize this dispersed-liquid structure.
Amphiphile: A molecule or material with distinct regions that interact favorably with different phases, such as water and oil. This dual character underlies many molecular emulsifiers.
Lecithin: A mixture of phospholipids found in biological tissues and used as an emulsifying ingredient. It is a familiar food emulsifier in products such as chocolate and mayonnaise.
Emulsion stabilizer: An ingredient or material that slows physical changes that destabilize an emulsion. Some stabilizers work by thickening the continuous phase rather than coating droplets as emulsifiers do.
Mayonnaise: A thick sauce made chiefly from oil dispersed in an aqueous phase containing egg yolk or another emulsifying ingredient. Egg-yolk components help stabilize its dense oil-in-water structure.
Surfactant: A substance that lowers surface or interfacial tension, often by accumulating at a boundary between phases. Many emulsifiers are surfactants that collect at the oil–water interface.
Hydrophilic: Having an affinity for water or interacting favorably with it. Water-attracting groups help orient many emulsifiers toward the aqueous phase.
Mono- and diglycerides: Food ingredients made from glycerol and one or two fatty-acid chains, often used to emulsify or condition foods. They stabilize or modify texture in baked goods, spreads, and other foods.
Thickening agent: A substance that increases a liquid's viscosity, often changing its flow and suspension behavior. Thickening can slow droplet movement without necessarily lowering interfacial tension.
Milk: A nutrient-rich fluid produced by mammary glands, containing fat droplets dispersed in an aqueous phase. Milk proteins and membrane components help keep its fat droplets dispersed.

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