Explanation Regarding Light Cream Maker™ Emulsification

Based on the information about Light Cream Maker™ (Product ID: 141), it is designed as an oil-in-water emulsifier that works without heat and can form a cream with continuous stirring. However, achieving a smooth and stable cream texture, especially in larger batches (like 40 kg), often benefits from higher shear mixing than simple hand stirring can provide.

The product description mentions that while stirring can create a cream, blending or sufficient stirring is important for the smoothest texture, and insufficient mixing might result in a flaky texture.

The change in the product's behavior, requiring homogenization now compared to previous batches where hand-mixing was sufficient, could be due to several factors:

• Potential Compositional Changes: As you noted, a change in the MSDS suggests the composition of the Light Cream Maker™ might have been altered. Even subtle changes in raw materials or manufacturing processes can affect the emulsifier's performance and the energy required for emulsification.
• Batch Variation: There can sometimes be slight variations between different production batches of raw materials.
• Formulation Specifics: The presence of other ingredients in your specific 40 kg formulation, particularly electrolytes (like salts, certain extracts, or active ingredients containing Sodium, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium), can significantly impact the viscosity and stability of the emulsion formed by Light Cream Maker™. The product description explicitly states that electrolytes can soften the cream and require a higher concentration of the emulsifier or specific mixing techniques.
• Scale of Production: Producing a large 40 kg batch consistently with hand stirring is more challenging than smaller lab-scale batches. Homogenization provides a consistent and high level of shear across the entire batch, ensuring uniform emulsification.

While Light Cream Maker™ can emulsify with stirring, the need for homogenization in recent batches, especially given a potential change in the product (MSDS) and the large batch size, suggests that the higher shear provided by the homogenizer is now necessary to overcome these factors and achieve the desired cream texture.

Therefore, while hand-mixing might theoretically work, using a homogenizer or a mixer that provides sufficient shear is likely required for consistent and stable cream formation with the current batches, particularly at your production scale and potentially due to changes in the raw material or your specific formulation's interaction with it.