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E1517Glazing agentLow concern
Glyceryl Diacetate
In plain words
The short version
Diacetin — a glycerol diester, niche carrier solvent for flavor and color extracts.
Why it's green
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
ADI not specified — considered safe. Hydrolyzed in digestion to glycerol and acetic acid, both normal dietary components.
The detail
Manufactured by partial esterification of glycerol with acetic acid. A natural minor metabolite present in trace amounts in many fermented foods.
Niche carrier solvent for flavor and color extracts in food and for active ingredients in pharmaceutical formulations. Less common than triacetin (E1518) — chosen where the partially-esterified solubility profile is preferred.
Colorless oily liquid. Soluble in water; miscible with most organic solvents.
In the EU it is authorised for use in flavourings, with a limit of 3 000 mg/kg from all sources in the food as consumed, alone or combined with E 1505, E 1518 and E 1520.
Sources
- WHO JECFA database — Glycerol diacetate (diacetin), 20th meeting (1976) — WHO / FAO JECFA, 1976. ADI not specified; carrier solvent
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, consolidated text of 18 August 2026 (Annex III Part 4, additives in flavourings) — European Union (EUR-Lex), 2026. EU use limited to flavourings, 3 000 mg/kg from all sources
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.