Food additive databaseemulsifierChecked 2026-10-02

Polysorbate 80 ポリソルベート80

Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E433)EFSA ADI 25mg per kg body weight per day

Purpose: emulsifier
On the label: “乳化剤” (emulsifier) (group name), “ポリソルベート80” (polysorbate 80)
Name in the List of Designated Additives: ポリソルベート80 (No. 399)

In Japan

An emulsifier with a structure made by adding ethylene oxide to sorbitan fatty acid esters (one of the polysorbates).
The standards for use set an upper limit for each food, and the amount is managed together with polysorbates 20, 60 and 65.
It falls within the group name for emulsifiers, and when used for emulsifying, it can be written as “乳化剤” (emulsifier).

Japan's standards for use

As polysorbate 80: foods not in ordinary food form, such as capsules and tablets: 25 g/kg
Cocoa and chocolate products, shortening, seasonings attached to instant noodles, sauces, chewing gum, milk fat substitutes: 5.0 g/kg
Ice cream types, decorations used in making confectionery, sweetened yogurt, dressing, mayonnaise, mix powders, baked confectionery (Western-style), fresh Western-style confectionery: 3.0 g/kg
Candies, soups, flour paste (“フラワーペースト”), ice confections: 1.0 g/kg
Pickled seaweed, chocolate drinks, pickled vegetables: 0.50 g/kg
Non-ripened cheese: 0.080 g/kg; canned and bottled seaweed and vegetables: 0.030 g/kg; other foods: 0.020 g/kg
When two or more of polysorbates 20, 60, 65 and 80 are used together, the sum of the amounts used must be at or below the standard value as polysorbate 80

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 E433.
In its 2015 evaluation, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) set an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 25mg per kg of body weight per day (a group ADI, for the total of related substances) (EFSA ANS).

When it is labeled under a shared name

Polysorbate 80 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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