E481 - Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate - Page 2

Functions: Emulsifier, Stabiliser

Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate -sodium stearoyl lactylate or SSL- is a versatile, FDA approved food additive used to improve the mix tolerance and volume of processed foods. It is one type of a commercially available lactylate. SSL is non-toxic, biodegradable, and typically manufactured using biorenewable feedstocks. Because SSL is a safe and highly effective food additive, it is used in a wide variety of products ranging from baked goods and desserts to pet foods.As described by the Food Chemicals Codex 7th edition, SSL is a cream-colored powder or brittle solid. SSL is currently manufactured by the esterification of stearic acid with lactic acid and partially neutralized with either food-grade soda ash -sodium carbonate- or caustic soda -concentrated sodium hydroxide-. Commercial grade SSL is a mixture of sodium salts of stearoyl lactylic acids and minor proportions of other sodium salts of related acids. The HLB for SSL is 10-12. SSL is slightly hygroscopic, soluble in ethanol and in hot oil or fat, and dispersible in warm water. These properties are the reason that SSL is an excellent emulsifier for fat-in-water emulsions and can also function as a humectant. - Wikipedia

EFSA evaluation: Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate -E 481- and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate -E 482- as food additives. (2013-05-13)

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has determined that some population groups have a high risk of consuming too much E481 - Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate.

To evaluate your exposure to the E481 - Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate food additive, you can browse our list of products that contain it. See the list of products with E481 - Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate below.

	Infants	Toddlers	Children	Adolescents	Adults	Elderly
	< 1	1 to 2	3 to 9	10 to 17	18 to 64	65+
High risk (50% of people or more)
Moderate risk (5% of people or more)

: Risk of reaching or exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)