Food additive databaseemulsifierChecked 2026-10-02

Glycerol Esters of Fatty Acids グリセリン脂肪酸エステル

Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E471)

Purpose: emulsifier
On the label: “乳化剤” (emulsifier), “ガムベース” (gum base), “グリセリン脂肪酸エステル” (glycerol esters of fatty acids), “グリセリンエステル” (glycerol esters)
Name in the List of Designated Additives: グリセリン脂肪酸エステル (No. 124)

In Japan

Under the definition in the Japanese Standards for Food Additives, this item groups together esters of fatty acids with glycerol (or polyglycerol) and their derivatives, and it also includes glycerol acetic acid fatty acid esters, glycerol citric acid fatty acid esters, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid esters, and others.
When used for emulsification, it can be written simply as “乳化剤” (emulsifier) (group name), no matter how many kinds are used, and when used as a chewing gum base, it can be written as “ガムベース” (gum base). When written by substance name, the short name “グリセリンエステル” (glycerol esters) can also be used.
There are no standards for use (rules on which foods it may be used in or how much).

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 on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II) as E471.
What Japan treats as the single item “グリセリン脂肪酸エステル” (glycerol esters of fatty acids) is divided in the EU into E471 (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), E472a to f (acetic, lactic, citric, tartaric, and other acid esters of mono- and diglycerides), E475 (polyglycerol esters of fatty acids), and others, each authorized under a separate E number.

When it is labeled under a shared name

Glycerol Esters of Fatty Acids 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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