What is E470?

Complete guide to understanding E470 (Fatty Acid Salts) in your food

The Quick Answer

E470 is a group of emulsifiers and anti-caking agents made from natural fatty acids (like stearic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid) bonded with metallic salts including sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

It’s used in food as an emulsifier to blend oil and water, a stabilizer to prevent separation, and an anti-caking agent to keep powdered foods free-flowing.

The most common form is calcium stearate (E470a), a white powder used across baked goods, dairy products, and processed foods.

What Exactly Is It?

E470 is a chemically synthesized product created by bonding natural fatty acids with metallic salts.

The main fatty acids used are:

• Stearic acid (18-carbon saturated fatty acid)
• Palmitic acid (16-carbon saturated fatty acid)
• Oleic acid (18-carbon monounsaturated fatty acid)
• Myristic acid (14-carbon saturated fatty acid)

These fatty acids are derived from either plant oils (coconut, palm, soybean, cocoa butter) or animal fats (beef tallow, mutton tallow, lard), and then bonded with:

• E470a(i): Sodium salts
• E470a(ii): Potassium salts
• E470a(iii): Calcium salts
• E470b: Magnesium salts

Key difference in solubility: Sodium and potassium salts are water-soluble, while calcium and magnesium salts are water-insoluble. This affects their specific applications—water-soluble forms work in beverages and aqueous systems, while insoluble forms excel as anti-caking agents in dry products.

Where You’ll Find It

E470 appears in a very wide range of food products:

• Baked goods: Bread, cakes, pastries, biscuits, croissants
• Dairy products: Ice cream, yogurt, cheese spreads, milk drinks
• Processed meats: Sausages, burgers, deli meats, pâtés
• Confectionery: Chocolate, candy, chewing gum
• Spreads: Margarine, butter spreads, peanut butter
• Powdered foods: Powdered milk, drink powders, dried food powders
• Supplements: Vitamin and mineral tablets, nutritional supplements
• Sauces and gravies: Soups, broths, ready-made sauces
• Beverages: Some flavored milk drinks and liquid supplements
• Low-fat products: Reduced-fat spreads and products compensating for missing fat

E470 is one of the most widely used food additives because its multiple functions (emulsification, anti-caking, dough conditioning) make it valuable across diverse food categories.

Why Do Food Companies Use It?

E470’s multiple functions make it one of the most valuable food additives available to manufacturers.

Different salts and forms of E470 serve different purposes:

As an emulsifier:

• Helps blend oil and water in products like margarine, ice cream, and sauces
• Keeps ingredients from separating during storage
• Creates smooth, consistent textures
• Improves mouthfeel and creaminess

As an anti-caking agent:

• Prevents caking and clumping in powdered foods, vitamins, and supplements
• Maintains free-flowing properties even in humid conditions
• Lubricates particles to prevent sticking
• Essential for maintaining product quality during storage and transport

As a dough conditioner and texture improver:

• Strengthens dough in bread production
• Improves crumb structure and volume
• Extends shelf life by slowing moisture loss
• Reduces stickiness and improves handling characteristics
• Creates softer, more tender products

As a stabilizer:

• Prevents fat separation in processed meats
• Maintains emulsions in complex food systems
• Improves freeze-thaw stability
• Helps products maintain appearance and consistency

The versatility—being both water-soluble (sodium, potassium forms) and water-insoluble (calcium, magnesium forms)—means E470 can be tailored to specific application needs, making it more cost-effective than using multiple different additives.

Is It Safe?

E470 is widely approved by major regulatory authorities and is considered safe at approved use levels.

Both the FDA and EFSA have authorized its use in food, and it appears on approved additives lists globally.

Safety profile:

• FDA recognizes E470 as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)
• The body metabolizes E470 identically to dietary fats and mineral salts
• EFSA re-evaluated E470a in 2018 and found no safety concerns at reported use levels
• No numerical Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) was established, indicating no need for specific limits
• No evidence of tissue accumulation or bioaccumulation
• Decades of use without documented widespread adverse effects

How the body handles E470:

When E470 enters your digestive system, it is broken down into its component parts: glycerol/fatty acids and metallic salts. The fatty acids are metabolized as normal dietary fats, while the mineral salts (calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium) are processed as normal dietary minerals. Nothing accumulates in tissues.

Important dietary restriction note:

Although most modern E470 is plant-derived, animal-derived forms (from beef tallow, mutton tallow, or lard) may still be used and are not always clearly labeled. This matters for:

• Vegans: May want to avoid E470 unless the product specifies “plant-based” or “vegetable” source
• Muslims: Should verify the source—pork-derived E470 would be haram
• Jews: Need to confirm compliance with kosher requirements
• Vegetarians: Only need to avoid beef/mutton/lard-derived sources

Natural vs Synthetic Version

E470 is synthesized, though it’s made from natural starting materials:

Starting materials: Natural fatty acids (stearic, palmitic, oleic acids) extracted from edible fats and oils, either plant-based (cocoa butter, palm oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, olive oil) or animal-derived (beef tallow, mutton tallow, lard).

Manufacturing process: The fatty acids are chemically bonded with metallic salts (sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium) through chemical reactions. For example, calcium stearate is produced by reacting calcium chloride with sodium stearate in aqueous solution.

Plant-based dominance: Most E470 used today comes from plant sources, particularly palm oil and coconut oil, because these are more cost-effective and help manufacturers claim “vegetable-based” on labels.

Final product: Chemically identical regardless of source. Your body cannot distinguish between E470 made from plant-derived versus animal-derived fatty acids.

Natural Alternatives

Want to avoid E470 or use other emulsifiers?

Some alternatives include:

• Lecithin (E322) – From soybeans or eggs; more expensive
• Mono- and diglycerides (E471) – Another emulsifier class with overlapping applications
• Sucrose esters (E473, E474) – Alternative emulsifiers for some applications
• Gums (guar, xanthan, acacia) – Plant-based thickeners and stabilizers
• Whole eggs – Traditional emulsifier in baked goods and ice cream
• Starch – Modified starches provide some stabilization
• Sourdough fermentation – Natural dough conditioning through long fermentation; eliminates need for synthetic dough conditioners

Premium and artisanal products more commonly use these alternatives, though they typically cost significantly more than E470.

The Bottom Line

E470 (fatty acid salts) is one of the most versatile and widely used food additives, serving simultaneously as an emulsifier, anti-caking agent, dough conditioner, and stabilizer.

It’s found in most commercial baked goods, dairy products, processed meats, and powdered foods.

Regulatory bodies including the FDA and EFSA have determined E470 is safe for consumption at approved use levels, with no specific numerical intake limit needed.

The body breaks down E470 into natural components—fatty acids and minerals—that are metabolized normally.

Important caveat: Because E470 can be derived from either plant or animal sources, those with dietary restrictions (vegan, Muslim, vegetarian, Jewish) should verify the source with manufacturers if these restrictions matter to them.

Understanding what’s in your food—and reaching out to manufacturers when ingredient sources are unclear—helps you make informed choices aligned with your values and dietary preferences.