What is the composition of standard liquid lecithin?

Standard liquid lecithin (GIIOFINE-L) runs approximately 62% phospholipids (the active ingredient) and 38% inherent acid oil (free fatty acids that emerge naturally from the oil-mill process). It is the most economical lecithin grade per unit of phospholipid, but it is viscous and sticky and the acid oil can contribute off-notes in flavour-sensitive applications.

What does the asterisk in GIIOFINE-L* or GIIOINSTA-LV* mean?

The asterisk denotes a reconstituted, acid-oil-removed variant of the parent grade. GIIOFINE-L* is the reconstituted form of GIIOFINE-L — same approximately 62% phospholipid content, but the inherent acid oil has been removed and replaced with neutral added fat. The result is a less sticky, lower-acid-value liquid that is easier to handle and free of acid-oil off-notes. GIIOINSTA-LV* applies the same principle to the viscosity-adjusted instantizer, producing a very-fluid liquid suitable for spray application on delicate flavours.

What is de-oiled powder lecithin?

De-oiled powder lecithin (GIIOFINE-P) is the highest-purity standard grade — approximately 95% phospholipids with only about 5% residual lipids, achieved by solvent extraction with acetone to remove the neutral oil fraction. It is a free-flowing powder, dose-able gravimetrically into dry matrices, and is the choice for nutritional choline claims, protein-powder instantization, and supplement encapsulation.

Why does GIIOINSTA contain added neutral fat?

GIIOINSTA is a viscosity-adjusted instantizer designed for spray application onto powders. Standard liquid lecithin is too viscous to atomise through fine spray nozzles without heating and pressure penalties; cutting the phospholipid with a neutral added fat brings the viscosity down to the spray-ready window. The trade-off is lower phospholipid concentration per kg (~30% instead of 62%), made up by the application-specific delivery format.

How do I choose between these grades for my application?

Decision tree: chocolate, bakery, confectionery → GIIOFINE-L (sticky liquid at the conche is fine, cost matters); flavour-sensitive or aroma-sensitive applications → GIIOFINE-L* (acid oil removed, no off-notes); spray application onto powders (cocoa, protein, instant) → GIIOINSTA-LV (standard) or GIIOINSTA-LV* (delicate-flavour spray); nutritional supplements, choline claims, dry premix dosing → GIIOFINE-P (highest purity, dose-able by gravimetric scale). Source (sunflower, soy, non-GMO IP soy, rapeseed, ricebran) is a separate choice driven by label and regional preferences.

Lecithin Grade Composition: Liquid, Powder, Instantizer

The five grades, side by side

Bars below approximate the weight-percent composition of each grade. Phospholipid is the active. Inherent acid oil is what the oil mill leaves behind. Added fat is neutral oil blended in for viscosity adjustment (in instantizers) or for acid-oil-replacement (in reconstituted variants).

The three components — what each one actually is

Phospholipid (active ingredient)

The functional half of any lecithin. Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylserine. This is what does the emulsifying, the instantization, the wettability work, and the nutritional choline-source job. Every grade question reduces to: how much active per kilogram of product, and what's diluting it.

Inherent acid oil

Free fatty acids and partial glycerides that come through from the oil-mill degumming step. It's not added — it's what's left in the lecithin after the crude soybean oil is separated. It contributes about 38% of standard liquid lecithin by weight. The downside: free fatty acids accelerate oxidation (peroxide value buildup), can contribute off-notes in flavour-sensitive applications, and add an acidic taste in delicate matrices like white chocolate or vanilla-forward bakery. The upside: it's the cheapest possible way to deliver phospholipid per kilogram. For cost-led applications where flavour neutrality is not the constraint, GIIOFINE-L is the workhorse.

Added neutral fat

Food-grade neutral fat (typically a refined vegetable oil) blended in for a specific functional reason. Two places it shows up:

Viscosity adjustment in instantizers (GIIOINSTA-LV, GIIOINSTA-LV*) — standard lecithin is too viscous to atomise through spray nozzles without pressure and heat penalties; the added fat brings the viscosity into the spray-application window.
Acid-oil replacement in reconstituted variants (GIIOFINE-L*, GIIOINSTA-LV*) — the inherent acid oil is solvent-removed, then the volume is rebuilt with neutral fat. Phospholipid content is preserved, acid value drops, off-notes disappear.

The asterisk convention

A trailing asterisk (*) on a grade code means reconstituted, acid-oil-removed. The phospholipid content stays approximately the same as the parent grade; the inherent acid oil is taken out and the volume rebuilt with neutral fat. So:

GIIOFINE-L = standard liquid, 62% PL + 38% inherent acid oil
GIIOFINE-L* = same 62% PL, acid oil removed, ~35% neutral fat added back
GIIOINSTA-LV = viscosity-adjusted instantizer, 30% PL + 20% acid oil + 50% added fat
GIIOINSTA-LV* = same 30% PL, acid oil removed, ~69% neutral fat instead

Reconstituted variants carry a premium over their parent grades. The premium is what you pay for the flavour-neutral profile and the lower acid value — both of which matter in delicate applications and in long-shelf-life systems where oxidation tracking is on the spec.

Which grade fits which application

If the application is…	Start with	Why
Chocolate, bakery, confectionery (cost-led)	`GIIOFINE-L`	Sticky at the conche is fine; PL/kg is what matters. Most economical.
Delicate flavour (white chocolate, vanilla, light bakery)	`GIIOFINE-L*`	Reconstituted, acid-oil removed — no off-notes, lower acid value.
Spray application onto powders (cocoa, protein, instant)	`GIIOINSTA-LV`	Viscosity dropped into the atomisation window for fine nozzles.
Spray onto delicate-flavour powder	`GIIOINSTA-LV*`	Same spray-ready viscosity, plus the acid-oil removed for flavour-safety.
Nutritional supplements, choline claims, dry premix dosing	`GIIOFINE-P`	De-oiled, ~95% PL. Powder doses gravimetrically. Highest purity.

Source (sunflower, soy, non-GMO IP soy, rapeseed, ricebran) is a separate decision driven by your label requirements and regional preferences. See sunflower vs soya decision guide and the PCR-negative vs Non-GMO IP guide for the source-side trade-offs.

What's actually in the bag, by grade.