日本語
Food additive databaseprocessing agentChecked 2026-10-02

Higher Fatty Acid 高級脂肪酸

Existing food additivePermitted in the EU (E570)
Purpose
processing agent
On the label
“脂肪酸” (fatty acid), “高級脂肪酸” (higher fatty acid), “脂肪酸（ステアリン酸）” (fatty acid (stearic acid))
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
高級脂肪酸 (No. 113)
Source and production
Obtained from hydrolyzed animal or plant fats and oils, or hydrogenated animal or plant fats and oils. The list of listed items divides it more finely into caprylic acid, capric acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, behenic acid, myristic acid, and lauric acid.

In Japan

  • Fatty acids obtained by hydrolyzing animal and plant fats and oils. Their purpose on the List of Existing Food Additives (list of listed items) is processing agent.
  • No standards for use (permitted foods and upper limits) have been set.
  • When written by substance name, the category name “脂肪酸” (fatty acid) can be used, and subcategories are written like “脂肪酸（ステアリン酸）” (fatty acid (stearic acid)). Labeling is exempt when it qualifies as a processing aid.

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 E570.
  • The EU's E570 (fatty acids) covers caprylic, capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids, and does not include behenic acid, which is among the Japanese subcategories. In its 2017 re-evaluation, EFSA concluded that there was no safety concern at the reported use levels.

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 processing agent

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