Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
The short version
A bakery emulsifier (SSL) that strengthens dough and extends bread softness.
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
JECFA set an ADI of 0–20 mg/kg body weight. EFSA's 2013 re-evaluation set an ADI of 22 mg/kg body weight per day for sodium and calcium stearoyl lactylates (E 481, E 482), alone or combined. EFSA's intake estimates were below this ADI for adults, including the elderly, but above it for other population groups at mean intake and for all groups at high intake. Generally considered safe. Like other emulsifiers, increasingly included in epidemiological studies of ultra-processed food consumption patterns.
Sources
- WHO JECFA database — Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (INS 481i; evaluation 1973) — Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 1973. JECFA ADI 0-20 mg/kg bw
- EFSA — Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (E 481) and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate (E 482) as food additives (EFSA Journal 2013;11(5):3144) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA ANS Panel), 2013. EFSA ADI 22 mg/kg bw/day; exposure above ADI in some groups
- 21 CFR 172.846 — Sodium stearoyl lactylate (CFR 2025 edition) — U.S. FDA / Code of Federal Regulations (govinfo.gov, 2025 edition), 2025. US permitted uses and limits (bakery 0.5 part per 100 parts flour)
Checked against these sources on .
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