E-numbers / Thickeners & emulsifiers / E322
also: Soya lecithin · Sunflower lecithin · Phosphatides
A fat taken from soya or sunflower seeds that keeps chocolate smooth and stops spreads separating. If it comes from soya, the label has to say so.
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Water, Wheat Flour, Whole Egg, Egg White, Rapeseed Oil, Skimmed Milk Powder, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Niacin, Iron, Thiamin
Lecithin from soya must be labelled as soya, because soya is an allergen.
UK supermarket foods that declare E322: 4,779 of the 43,325 we checked (11%)
Counted by its code or its name in the ingredient list.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
Why it’s worth knowing. Lecithin from soya must be labelled as soya, because soya is an allergen. People with a soya allergy should check the source. Some makers use sunflower lecithin instead.
Lecithins are a family of fats found naturally in seeds, egg yolk and animal tissue. For food they are mostly taken from soya beans, sunflower seeds or rapeseed. What comes out is a mix of fats called phospholipids, mainly phosphatidylcholine.
Each lecithin molecule has one end that holds on to fat and one end that holds on to water, so it sits between the two and keeps them from separating. That is why chocolate pours smoothly, dressings stay mixed and bread has a soft, even inside. Used in larger amounts it also thickens.
Chocolate and chocolate coatings, margarine, low-fat spreads, mayonnaise and salad dressings, bread and baked goods, infant formula, instant soups, cooking sprays and many ready meals. UK labels call it lecithin, soya lecithin, sunflower lecithin or E322. If it comes from soya, the word soya must be on the label.
Most lecithin in food comes from soya, one of the 14 allergens UK law makes labels declare. Soya lecithin is heavily refined and holds very little soya protein, but some people with soya allergy have reported reactions to it. How much it takes varies from person to person.
Soya must be declared under UK law, so when lecithin comes from soya, the word soya must appear clearly in the ingredients.
Food-grade soya lecithin is heavily refined and holds very little soya protein, but reactions in people already sensitised to soya have been reported.
European reviewers completed a full review of E322 in 2017 and set no numerical daily limit. They flagged missing data on formula for babies under 16 weeks, and covered that age group in a follow-up in 2020.
Reviewers set no numerical daily limit for lecithins.
A follow-up opinion on formula for babies under 16 weeks said exposure in this age group should keep being monitored.
Daily limit. None set. European reviewers set none in 2017.
People with a soya allergy should check whether a product uses soya lecithin or another source, such as sunflower. UK law requires soya lecithin to be named, with soya in bold. Sunflower is not one of the 14 major allergens.
It can come from soya, sunflower or rapeseed. The soya allergy issue is real and written into labelling law. The 2017 European review kept it permitted. The gap it flagged for young babies was covered in 2020, with monitoring continuing.
No. E322 is approved in the UK and is on the Food Standards Agency's list.
Yes, if it comes from soya. Soya is one of the 14 major allergens, so soya lecithin must be named. If it comes from sunflower or rapeseed, the source does not have to be stated, though some makers include it.
Chocolate most of all, then margarine, low-fat spreads, mayonnaise, salad dressings, bread, baked goods and infant formula. Labels call it lecithin, soya lecithin, sunflower lecithin or E322.
Usually, but it depends on the source. Lecithin from soya, sunflower or rapeseed is vegan. Lecithin from egg yolk is vegetarian but not vegan. Most food lecithin today comes from soya or sunflower. Check the label or ask the maker if it matters to you.
Last reviewed: 9 November 2026
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