Emulsifiers — Complete E-Number Guide

Emulsifiers are food additives (E400–E499) that help mix ingredients that would normally separate, like oil and water. They are found in many everyday foods including bread, margarine, chocolate, ice cream, cakes and processed foods. This guide covers every emulsifier E-number with its safety, vegan and halal status at a glance.

E-NumberNameSafetyVeganHalal
E432 Polysorbate 20 Some Concerns Uncertain Doubtful
E433 Polysorbate 80 Some Concerns Uncertain Doubtful
E434 Polysorbate 40 Some Concerns Uncertain Doubtful
E435 Polysorbate 60 Some Concerns Uncertain Doubtful
E436 Polysorbate 65 Some Concerns Uncertain Doubtful
E441 Gelatine Safe No Haram
E442 Ammonium Phosphatides Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E471 Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids Some Concerns Uncertain Doubtful
E473 Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E474 Sucroglycerides Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E475 Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E476 Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate Safe Yes Halal
E477 Propylene Glycol Esters of Fatty Acids Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E481 Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E482 Calcium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E483 Stearyl Tartrate Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E491 Sorbitan Monostearate Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E492 Sorbitan Tristearate Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E493 Sorbitan Monolaurate Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E494 Sorbitan Monooleate Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E495 Sorbitan Monopalmitate Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E470a Sodium, Potassium and Calcium Salts of Fatty Acids Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E470b Magnesium Salts of Fatty Acids Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E472a Acetic Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E472b Lactic Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E472c Citric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E472d Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E472e DATEM Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E472f Mixed Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides Safe Uncertain Doubtful
E479b Thermally Oxidised Soya Bean Oil Safe Yes Halal

What do emulsifiers do?

Additives in the emulsifiers group help mix ingredients that would normally separate, like oil and water. Without them, many everyday products would spoil faster, separate, lose texture or look unappetising — which is why they appear in so many ingredients lists. Every additive in this table has been through EFSA's authorisation process, but as the safety column shows, "authorised" doesn't always mean "concern-free": some carry conditions, warnings or ongoing debates, and each entry links to a full breakdown.

Checking labels for emulsifiers

On UK and EU labels these additives appear with their function and E-number or name — for example "emulsifier: E432". Tap any E-number in the table for its complete profile: what it is, where it's found, whether it's safe, and its vegan, vegetarian, halal and palm-oil status.

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Additive data sourced from Open Food Facts (ODbL licence) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

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