Glycine (E640)

Glycine

Glycine is manufactured through chemical synthesis by reacting chloroacetic acid with ammonia under pressure or through modern fermentation processes using sugar substrates, used as a non-caloric sweetener, buffering agent, flavor masker, stabilizer, and preservative that provides mild sweetness (0.6-0.8 times sucrose), neutralizes bitterness, stabilizes emulsions/proteins, and controls pH without aftertaste or cariogenic effects. In the food industry, it excels at bitterness suppression from high-intensity sweeteners, pharmaceutical masking, and synergistic sweetness enhancement making it ideal for diet beverages, sugar-free confectionery, and processed foods requiring clean flavor profiles.

Food Industry Applications

• Beverages: Dramatically reduces bitterness and metallic aftertaste from aspartame, acesulfame-K, and steviol glycosides in diet sodas, zero-calorie energy drinks, sports beverages, and sugar-free iced teas; creates 25-40% perceived sweetness synergy while preventing flavor drift during storage; maintains carbonation clarity without precipitation.

• Dairy products: Masks bitterness and astringency in low-fat yogurts, milk protein-fortified beverages, processed cheese spreads, and fermented dairy drinks; stabilizes casein micelles preventing texture separation; improves mouth-coating and salt perception in cheese analogs.

• Confectionery: Provides sugar-like bulk and mouthfeel in sugar-free gums, hard candies, chocolates, and jellies without promoting tooth decay; prevents grittiness from polydextrose or maltitol syrups; enhances cooling sensation synergy with menthol flavors.

• Bakery products: Neutralizes bitter notes from potassium sorbate preservatives and artificial sweeteners in reduced-sugar cakes, muffins, and bread mixes; improves dough extensibility as buffering agent; extends shelf life by stabilizing flavor compounds against oxidation.

• Meat products: Reduces metallic/chemical aftertaste from sodium tripolyphosphate and curing salts in sausages, hot dogs, and injected poultry; tenderizes through mild chelation of muscle proteins; enhances umami perception and salt taste at reduced sodium levels.

Other Industry Applications

In cosmetics, functions as humectant and stabilizer in creams/lotions preventing ingredient separation while providing skin-conditioning benefits; in pharmaceuticals, serves as tablet excipient, flavor masker for pediatric medicines, and glycine neurotransmitter precursor; in animal feed, supplements poultry diets improving growth rates through glycine metabolism; in detergents, complexes calcium/magnesium ions enhancing cleaning efficiency; in electroplating, buffers nickel plating baths for uniform metal deposition; in photography, stabilizes developing solutions.