What is E481?
Complete guide to understanding sodium stearoyl lactylate in your food
The Quick Answer
E481 is sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), a versatile emulsifier and dough conditioner derived from stearic acid and lactic acid.
It’s primarily used to improve texture, extend shelf life, and prevent staling in baked goods—particularly bread, cakes, and pastries.
Most people who eat bread, cakes, or processed baked goods regularly consume small amounts of it.
📌 Quick Facts
- Category: Emulsifier, Dough Conditioner & Stabilizer
- Found in: Bread, cakes, pastries, margarine, spreads, processed foods
- Safety: FDA-approved, EFSA-approved, ADI established at 22 mg/kg
- Approved by: FDA, EFSA, JECFA
- Key Fact: Derived from natural sources (stearic acid + lactic acid)
What Exactly Is E481?
E481 is sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL), an emulsifier and dough conditioner made by combining two natural fatty acids: stearic acid and lactic acid.
More specifically, stearic acid (from animal fat or vegetable oil) reacts with lactic acid to create stearoyl lactylic acid. This product is then neutralized with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate to create the sodium salt form used in food.
E481 appears as a cream-colored powder or brittle solid that is odorless and tasteless. It’s hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air and can become sticky, so it’s often mixed with anti-caking agents like calcium carbonate.
In technical terms, it’s a surfactant—a molecule with both oil-attracting and water-attracting properties—that allows fats and water to mix stably and improves dough texture and handling.
Where You’ll Find E481
E481 appears in numerous baked goods and processed foods requiring improved texture or shelf life:
– Yeast-raised breads and rolls
– Cakes and fine bakery wares
– Biscuits and crackers
– Pastries and desserts
– Margarine and spreads
– Flavoured fermented milk products
– Beverage whiteners
– Oil and fat emulsions
– Confectionery and sweets
– Chewing gum
– Breakfast cereals
– Quick-cook rice
– Canned meat products
– Creamy liqueurs and spirit drinks
– Snacks
– Pet foods
If you eat bread, cakes, or processed baked goods, you’ve almost certainly consumed E481. It’s one of the most widely used emulsifiers in the food industry.
💡 Pro Tip: Look for “Sodium stearoyl lactylate,” “Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate,” “SSL,” or “E481” on ingredient lists. It’s especially common in commercial bread, where it improves volume and extends shelf life.
How E481 Works in Food
E481 serves multiple critical functions, particularly in baked goods.
As a dough conditioner (primary function in bakery): E481 strengthens dough, increases bread volume, and improves crumb structure. It interacts with flour proteins and starch to create a stronger, more elastic dough. The result is fluffier bread with better volume and texture. Additionally, E481 slows bread staling—the retrogradation process that makes bread dry over time. This is why commercially baked bread often stays soft longer than homemade bread.
As an emulsifier: E481 allows oil and water to remain mixed in stable emulsions. In margarine, spreads, dressings, and other products, it prevents separation of fat and water phases, maintaining a uniform texture.
As a stabilizer: E481 prevents separation of components in complex foods, maintaining consistency and extending shelf life. In fermented milk products, beverage whiteners, and other emulsified products, it keeps ingredients uniformly distributed.
As a surface-active agent: E481 improves mix tolerance—how well a dough or mixture tolerates variations in ingredients or processing, making production more reliable.
Why Do Food Companies Use E481?
E481 solves critical technical problems that manufacturers face in large-scale production.
Without E481, commercial bread would have poor volume, dense crumb structure, and would stale quickly. This would result in lower quality products and higher waste. E481 allows manufacturers to produce bread with superior texture, extended shelf life, and consistent quality across batches.
In margarine and spreads, E481 prevents oil separation and provides smooth, stable texture. In other products, it ensures uniform distribution of ingredients without visible separation—important for consumer acceptance.
Is It Safe?
Regulatory authorities confirm E481 is safe for food use at approved levels.
The FDA approved sodium stearoyl lactylate as a multifunctional food additive with no restrictions beyond good manufacturing practices. The EFSA conducted a comprehensive safety re-evaluation in 2013 and established an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 22 mg/kg body weight per day. JECFA (the international FAO/WHO expert committee) set the ADI at 20 mg/kg body weight per day.
An ADI being established means regulatory authorities determined a safe daily intake level—actual consumption at approved use levels is far below this threshold.
✓ Safety Confirmed: The EFSA’s 2013 re-evaluation established an ADI of 22 mg/kg body weight/day for E481. This means regulatory authorities have determined it is safe for daily consumption at this level. Actual food intake levels are well below this threshold.
The EFSA’s 2013 Comprehensive Safety Re-evaluation
The European Food Safety Authority’s 2013 re-evaluation of sodium and calcium stearoyl-lactylates provides authoritative reassurance.
Key findings:
– Established ADI: 22 mg/kg body weight/day (for SSL and CSL combined or singly)
– No reproductive toxicity observed in animal studies
– No carcinogenic effects detected
– No genotoxic effects (no genetic damage)
– No adverse effects at approved food use levels
– Prior JECFA ADI (1973): 20 mg/kg body weight/day
The 2013 EFSA Panel concluded that safety is assured at all approved use levels.
Historical Safety Information
E481 has an extensive history of safe use spanning decades.
Acute toxicity studies in rats (conducted in 1952) established an oral LD50 (lethal dose for 50% of test subjects) greater than 25 g/kg body weight—an extraordinarily high value indicating very low acute toxicity. More recent studies (2010) established a No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of 5% of total diet, with an acceptable daily intake recommendation of 22.1 mg/kg body weight per day.
Potential Side Effects
At approved food use levels, no adverse effects are documented.
E481 is considered non-toxic at food-grade use levels. Allergic reactions are extremely rare. Only one documented case exists of contact dermatitis and rhinitis in a manicurist working with acrylic nails containing the substance—a different exposure route than food consumption.
Natural Origins and Manufacturing
E481 is synthesized from naturally sourced materials.
While E481 itself is not naturally occurring, it’s manufactured from natural precursors: stearic acid (from animal fats or vegetable oils) and lactic acid (from milk fermentation or carbohydrate fermentation). These are combined through a controlled chemical synthesis process to create sodium stearoyl lactylate.
The manufacturing process: Stearic acid and lactic acid are mixed, treated with sodium hydroxide for neutralization and esterification, creating the final sodium salt product. The process is rigidly controlled to meet strict specifications for food safety.
Vegan and Dietary Status
E481’s dietary status depends on the source of stearic acid:
– Vegan: Can be vegan IF stearic acid is sourced from vegetables; varies by manufacturer
– Vegetarian: Generally vegetarian, depending on source
– Halal: Yes, if stearic acid sourced from vegetables
– Kosher: Yes, certified as OK Kosher and Halal available
– Natural: NOT natural—chemically synthesized, though from natural precursors
Check product packaging or contact manufacturers if vegan status is important, as sources vary.
Comparison with Related Products
E481 is part of a lactylate family of emulsifiers:
– E481: Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL) – this product
– E482: Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate (CSL) – similar product with calcium instead of sodium
– Glycerol monostearate (GMS): Different emulsifier used in high-moisture baked goods
– Both SSL and CSL are lactylate emulsifiers; second most popular category after mono/diglycerides
E481 is specifically effective in high-fat bakery products, while other emulsifiers are used for different applications.
Regulatory Approval Across Regions
E481 approval is nearly universal:
– United States (FDA): Approved as multifunctional food additive
– European Union (EFSA): Authorized food additive E481
– International (JECFA): FAO/WHO approved with ADI 20 mg/kg bw/day
– Australia/New Zealand: Approved with code 481
– UK FSA: Categorized in “Others” (approved)
This universal approval reflects confidence in its safety across different regulatory systems and countries.
Approved Use Levels in Foods
E481 is approved at specific levels depending on food category:
– Bread and rolls: 3,000 mg/kg
– Fine bakery wares (cakes, pastries): 5,000 mg/kg
– Fat and oil emulsions: 10,000 mg/kg
– Margarine and spreads: up to 10,000 mg/kg
– Breakfast cereals: 5,000 mg/kg
– Dairy products: 3,000-5,000 mg/kg depending on category
– Confectionery: 5,000 mg/kg
– FDA bakery limit: 0.5% by flour weight
These levels are carefully controlled to ensure safety while allowing sufficient functionality.
The Bottom Line
E481 (sodium stearoyl lactylate) is a widely used emulsifier and dough conditioner primarily used in baked goods.
It’s derived from stearic acid and lactic acid—both naturally sourced fatty acids—combined through controlled chemical synthesis.
Regulatory authorities worldwide classify it as safe. The EFSA established an ADI of 22 mg/kg body weight per day, and JECFA set the ADI at 20 mg/kg body weight per day.
E481 serves critical functions in bread production: improving volume, strengthening dough, improving crumb texture, and extending shelf life by slowing staling. This is why virtually all commercial bread contains it.
At approved food use levels, actual intake is far below the established ADI threshold, ensuring safety.
No adverse effects are documented at food-grade use levels. Allergic reactions are extremely rare.
E481’s dietary status (vegan, vegetarian) depends on the source of its stearic acid component—check product labels if this matters to you.
Most people eating bread, cakes, and processed baked goods consume E481 regularly without any documented health concerns.
As always, food labels must declare E481 when used, enabling informed consumer choice.
