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E243PreservativeLow concern
Lauric Arginate
In plain words
The short version
A cationic antimicrobial used in cured meats to suppress Listeria — naturally derived but high-tech.
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 of 0–0.5 mg/kg body weight. Rapidly hydrolyzed in digestion to lauric acid and arginine, both normal dietary components. No documented adverse effects at use levels.
The detail
Manufactured from naturally derived L-arginine (an essential amino acid) condensed with lauric acid ester. In 2005 FDA raised no questions about a GRAS notice for its use as an antimicrobial in foods, including meat and poultry (GRN 164). EFSA set an ADI in 2007, and the EU authorised it as E 243 in 2014 for heat-treated meat products. The trade name Mirenat is the dominant commercial product.
Sprayed or dipped onto cured meats, ready-to-eat poultry, and fresh cheeses at 100–200 ppm to suppress Listeria monocytogenes growth. Complements (does not replace) the nitrite curing system. Particularly important in the US deli-meat industry following 1990s-2000s listeriosis outbreaks.
White hygroscopic powder or aqueous solution (commercial form). Cationic surfactant — interacts with bacterial cell membranes.
In the US, FDA raised no questions about its GRAS notice for antimicrobial use in foods including meat and poultry (GRN 164, 2005). In the EU it has been authorised since 2014 (Regulation (EU) No 506/2014), only in heat-treated meat products, except emulsified sausages, smoked sausages and liver paste, at up to 160 mg/kg.
Sources
- EFSA — Safety of ethyl lauroyl arginate (E 243) as a food additive in the light of the new information provided and the proposed extension of use (EFSA Journal 2019;17(3):5621) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 2019. ADI of 0.5 mg/kg bw; EU authorisation only in heat-treated meat products since Regulation (EU) No 506/2014
- WHO JECFA database — Ethyl lauroyl arginate (INS 243), evaluation 2008 — Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 2008. JECFA safety evaluation (ADI 0–4 mg/kg bw)
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, consolidated text of 18.08.2026 (Annex II) — European Union (EUR-Lex), 2026. Current EU use: heat-treated meat products only, max 160 mg/kg
- FDA — GRAS Notice GRN No. 164, lauramide arginine ethyl ester (closed 2005, 'no questions') — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2005. US status: GRAS notice for antimicrobial use, FDA no questions (2005)
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.