Top News

New Delhi : Korean monoglycerides are specific fatty acid-based compounds, including polyunsaturated types, that come from marine algae such as Sargassum sagamianum. These compounds are used as emulsifiers in food and have recently been detected in food adulteration investigations.

Korean Monoglycerides sourced from South Korea were recently in the news in the Tirupati Laddu Scam. Investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) revealed that adulterated ghee was supplied to Tirumala for making Laddu Prasadam. Monoglycerides, a chemical substance, was found to be used in the ghee supplied by the contractor.

SIT investigation found that the adulterated ghee was made by mixing palm oil, palm kernel oil, monoglycerides, beta-carotene, acetic acid ester and lactic acid. Monoglycerides were used to make the mixture ghee-like and increase its shelf life, as they act as preservatives. These additives were allegedly used to ensure that the product would pass laboratory tests as “ghee” and also to increase its appearance and durability.

According to Volza’s monoglycerides import data in India, between June 2024 and May 2025 (TTM), buyers across the world imported 264 shipments of monoglycerides. India, Mexico and Vietnam became the top three importing countries, while Malaysia, Denmark and South Korea were the top three exporters.

Distilled monoglycerides, or distilled glycerol monostearate (GMS), are advanced emulsifiers purified through molecular distillation technology and contain over 90% of the active ingredients. These perform various functions like emulsification, dispersion, stabilization, defoaming, antistatic action, film formation and starch anti-aging. They are used extensively in food products ranging from ice cream to strong plastic packaging, and from sweet breads to powerful pharmaceutical products. These properties make distilled monoglycerides important in food, medicine and plastics.

Monoglycerides are currently the most commonly used emulsifier worldwide. They are widely used in the production and processing of bread, biscuits, cakes, pasta and other products made from wheat. These combine with the main ingredients in wheat flour to emulsify and improve the appearance and taste.

These can be further divided into glycerol monostearate, glycerol monolaurate and glycerol monooleate, in which glycerol monostearate is the most used.

Monoglycerides are generally oily, fatty, or waxy. Their color ranges from pale yellow to ivory and they are generally tasteless. Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are emulsifiers that come from either plant sources (soybean, palm oil) or animal fats (pork, beef). These are not actually vegetarian or vegan. When they are made with vegetable oil, they are vegan; However, these are often derived from animal fat, making them unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans. Monoglycerides and diglycerides generally come from pork.

In foods such as drinks, ice cream, candy and chocolate, distilled monoglycerides improve texture and taste. In ice cream, they make the taste lighter and smoother; In candy and chocolate, they reduce stickiness, prevent oil-water separation, and increase shine and flavor.

Finamul-90, a distilled mono-diglyceride (DMG) derived from edible oil, is used in a variety of applications in low fat and butter spreads, cakes, breads, biscuits, coffee whiteners, ice creams and whipping creams. It stabilizes liquid emulsions in low-fat spreads and acts as an effective crumb softener in bread, with anti-stagging properties. This increases aeration in the cake batter and ensures uniform distribution of fat, which improves the crispiness of the biscuits. The biggest use of monoglycerides in food technology is in bread.

Monoglycerides contain small amounts of trans fat, and long-term, excessive use increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. These are often found in processed foods that are high in sugar, fat, and calories, which increase general metabolic risks. In India, ghee is widely used in everyday cooking (dal, roti, khichdi) and in frying due to its high smoke point. While 32.5% of Indian consumers consume ghee daily, its use is more often associated with higher income groups and brands such as Milma and Nandini. The demand for ghee is increasing rapidly in India. The iMARC Market Intelligence report shows that per capita ghee consumption is expected to increase from 2.68 kg in 2014 to 3.27 kg in 2023-24, and is expected to reach 4 kg per capita by 2034. With increasing demand increases the risk of adulteration and use of chemical additives like Korean monoglycerides.

Researchers know very little about the health effects of consuming excessive amounts of monoglycerides. As a type of fat, diets high in monoglycerides may be associated with the same long-term risks as triglycerides and trans fats, including heart and circulation problems.

Monoglycerides are generally safe in small amounts, but with regular use through processed foods.