Sucroglycerides
A safe emulsifier. Check with the manufacturer if avoiding animal products.
- Category
- Emulsifiers
- Vegan
- maybe
- Vegetarian
- maybe
What it is
An emulsifier made by reacting sucrose (sugar) with natural fats.
How it is used in food
An efficient emulsifier at low doses, it disperses fat evenly in ice cream, coffee whiteners, dairy analogues and instant powders, improving whipping performance and preventing fat separation and feathering in hot drinks.
Commonly found in- Ice cream
- Sauces
- Confectionery
Health and safety
Safe for human consumption; breaks down into sugar and fats during digestion.
EFSA's re-evaluation of sucrose esters of fatty acids and sucroglycerides found no safety concern at reported use levels and maintained a group acceptable daily intake covering both. Digestion separates them into sucrose and fatty acids, both handled by normal metabolism; the fat source may be animal or vegetable, which matters for vegan diets rather than safety.
Regulatory status
| Region | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia & New Zealand FSANZ |
Permitted | Permitted under the FSANZ Food Standards Code. |
| European Union EFSA / European Commission |
Permitted | Authorised for food use under EU regulations (Annex II). |
| United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration) |
Permitted | Authorised for food use by the FDA (often GRAS for standard additives). |
Identification on labels
- E-number
- E474
Worth knowing
It is made by reacting sucrose directly with an edible fat or oil, so the product is not a single compound but a mixture of sucrose fatty acid esters plus mono- and diglycerides — in effect E 473 and E 471 produced together in one step, which is why the two additives share an intake limit.
Conclusion
A safe emulsifier. Check with the manufacturer if avoiding animal products.
Is it in what you are buying?
ScanWise reads the barcode and tells you which additives a product actually contains, and what they do to its score.
Open the appEntry last reviewed 2026-07-28.
← All additives