Food additive databaseemulsifierChecked 2026-10-02

Cholesterol 動物性ステロール

Existing food additiveNot on the EU additive list

Purpose: emulsifier
On the label: “乳化剤” (emulsifier; group name), “動物性ステロール” (animal sterol), “コレステロール” (cholesterol), “ステロール” (sterol)
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives: 動物性ステロール (No. 195)
Source and production: Obtained from fish oil or lanolin (a waxy substance obtained from wool), with cholesterol as the main component. Contains 90.0 to 102.0% cholesterol (specifications and standards).

In Japan

Obtained from fish oil or from lanolin from sheep’s wool, with cholesterol as the main component. Its purpose in the List of Existing Food Additives is emulsifier; another name is “コレステロール” (cholesterol), and its category name is “ステロール” (sterol).
When used for emulsification, it can be written with the group name “乳化剤” (emulsifier). There are no standards for use.

Japan's standards for use

There are no standards for use that limit which foods or how much (the general standards for all additives still apply).

This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.

In the EU

It is not on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II), so it cannot be used as a food additive in the EU.

When it is labeled under a shared name

Cholesterol may be declared on the label in the same way as “乳化剤”. See Emulsifier for details.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.

This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.

Other substances used as emulsifier

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