Our History

American Lecithin Company was founded in 1929 by the late Mr. Joseph Eichberg. He was an instrumental figure in furthering soybean lecithin development, which originated in Germany, here in the United States.

At the time, existing extraction technology produced a lecithin with a bitter aftertaste. In 1935, American Lecithin Company was granted a United States process patent that yielded phosphatides (the functional component of lecithin) with improved organoleptic properties.

Additional research by American Lecithin Company resulted in a second patent, issued in 1940, that was licensed to the industry. This patent showed how the addition of free fatty acids could provide a more uniform fluid consistency.

These early developments were instrumental in expanding the use of lecithin in numerous food applications such as chocolate and margarine, which are still industry standards today.