日本語
Food additive databaseemulsifierChecked 2026-10-02

Sorbitan Esters of Fatty Acids ソルビタン脂肪酸エステル

Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E491〜E495)EFSA ADI 10mg per kg body weight per day
Purpose
emulsifier
On the label
“乳化剤” (emulsifier), “ソルビタンエステル” (sorbitan ester), “ソルビタン脂肪酸エステル” (sorbitan esters of fatty acids)
Name in the List of Designated Additives
ソルビタン脂肪酸エステル (No. 241)

In Japan

  • An ester of sorbitan and fatty acids, used as an emulsifier that helps water and oil mix.
  • It falls within the group names for emulsifiers and gum base. When used for those purposes, it can be written simply as “乳化剤” (emulsifier) or “ガムベース” (gum base). The short name is “ソルビタンエステル” (sorbitan ester).
  • No standards for use have been set.

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 E491〜E495.
  • In the EU, it is permitted as five separate items by fatty acid type: monostearate (E491), tristearate (E492), monolaurate (E493), monooleate (E494) and monopalmitate (E495).
  • In its 2017 evaluation, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) set an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 10mg 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

Sorbitan 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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