Milk chocolate cookie dough bites

Lecithins are natural compounds commonly used in the food industry as emulsifiers and stabilizers.

Extracted from sources like soybeans and eggs, lecithins consist of phospholipids that enhance the mixing of oil and water, ensuring smooth textures in various products like chocolates, dressings, and baked goods.

They do not present any known health risks.

Lecithins are natural compounds commonly used in the food industry as emulsifiers and stabilizers.

Extracted from sources like soybeans and eggs, lecithins consist of phospholipids that enhance the mixing of oil and water, ensuring smooth textures in various products like chocolates, dressings, and baked goods.

They do not present any known health risks.

Gum arabic, also known as acacia gum, arabic gum, gum acacia, acacia, Senegal gum and Indian gum, and by other names, is a natural gum consisting of the hardened sap of various species of the acacia tree. Originally, gum arabic was collected from Acacia nilotica which was called the "gum arabic tree"; in the present day, gum arabic is collected from acacia species, predominantly Acacia senegal and Vachellia (Acacia) seyal; the term "gum arabic" does not indicate a particular botanical source. In a few cases so‐called "gum arabic" may not even have been collected from Acacia species, but may originate from Combretum, Albizia or some other genus. Producers harvest the gum commercially from wild trees, mostly in Sudan (80%) and throughout the Sahel, from Senegal to Somalia—though it is historically cultivated in Arabia and West Asia. Gum arabic is a complex mixture of glycoproteins and polysaccharides. It is the original source of the sugars arabinose and ribose, both of which were first discovered and isolated from it, and are named after it. Gum arabic is soluble in water. It is edible, and used primarily in the food industry as a stabilizer, with EU E number E414. Gum arabic is a key ingredient in traditional lithography and is used in printing, paint production, glue, cosmetics and various industrial applications, including viscosity control in inks and in textile industries, though less expensive materials compete with it for many of these roles. While gum arabic is now produced throughout the African Sahel, it is still harvested and used in the Middle East.

Sorbitol (), less commonly known as glucitol (), is a sugar alcohol with a sweet taste which the human body metabolizes slowly. It can be obtained by reduction of glucose, which changes the aldehyde group to a hydroxyl group. Most sorbitol is made from corn syrup, but it is also found in nature, for example in apples, pears, peaches, and prunes. It is converted to fructose by sorbitol-6-phosphate 2-dehydrogenase. Sorbitol is an isomer of mannitol, another sugar alcohol; the two differ only in the orientation of the hydroxyl group on carbon 2. While similar, the two sugar alcohols have very different sources in nature, melting points, and uses.

Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471), are food additives commonly used as emulsifiers in various processed foods.

These compounds consist of glycerol molecules linked to one or two fatty acid chains, which help stabilize and blend water and oil-based ingredients. E471 enhances the texture and shelf life of products like margarine, baked goods, and ice cream, ensuring a smooth and consistent texture.

It is generally considered safe for consumption within established regulatory limits.

Sodium carbonates (E500) are compounds commonly used in food preparation as leavening agents, helping baked goods rise by releasing carbon dioxide when they interact with acids.

Often found in baking soda, they regulate the pH of food, preventing it from becoming too acidic or too alkaline. In the culinary world, sodium carbonates can also enhance the texture and structure of foods, such as noodles, by modifying the gluten network.

Generally recognized as safe, sodium carbonates are non-toxic when consumed in typical amounts found in food.

Sodium hydrogen carbonate, also known as E500ii, is a food additive commonly used as a leavening agent.

When added to recipes, it releases carbon dioxide gas upon exposure to heat or acids, causing dough to rise and resulting in a light, fluffy texture in baked goods.

It is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by regulatory authorities when used in appropriate quantities and poses no significant health risks when consumed in typical food applications.

Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes (pictured) and dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish. Shellac functions as a tough natural primer, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, odour-blocker, stain, and high-gloss varnish. Shellac was once used in electrical applications as it possesses good insulation qualities and it seals out moisture. Phonograph and 78 rpm gramophone records were made of it until they were replaced by vinyl long-playing records from the 1950s onwards. From the time it replaced oil and wax finishes in the 19th century, shellac was one of the dominant wood finishes in the western world until it was largely replaced by nitrocellulose lacquer in the 1920s and 1930s.