Glycerol Monolaurate

About This Product

Glycerol monolaurate, GML or monolaurin, is the monoester of glycerol and lauric acid, the C12 fatty acid that dominates coconut and palm kernel oil. It is a white to off-white powder or waxy solid and behaves as a lipophilic water-in-oil emulsifier.

Its interest comes from doing two jobs with one molecule. As an emulsifier it is unremarkable, close in behaviour to other monoglycerides. As an antimicrobial it is unusual: the lauroyl chain inserts into bacterial cell membranes and disrupts them, and it is effective against Gram-positive bacteria, including the staphylococci and bacilli that spoil starch and dairy products, at a few hundred milligrams per kilogram. It also suppresses toxin production in some species at levels below those that stop growth outright. Two limits matter in practice. It is far less effective against Gram-negative bacteria, whose outer membrane keeps it out, so it is not a substitute for a broad preservative system; and its activity falls as pH rises, so it works best in the acidic to neutral range. Set against that, it is a naturally occurring compound found in coconut oil and in human milk, which is why formulators reach for it when a product has to keep well while carrying a short, recognisable ingredient list.

It is used to extend shelf life in bread, buns, pastries and moon cake, in rice and starch products, in meat and dairy products, in fruit and vegetable preparations, and as an emulsifier in ice cream where it refines the crystal structure.

Bio Green Foods supplies glycerol monolaurate to specification on monoester content, free glycerol, acid value and melting point, in 20 kg bags or cartons. Confirm the pH and the target organisms of your system when enquiring.