Glycerol
A natural alcohol used to keep food moist and prevent crystallisation. EFSA flagged a risk to children from high doses in slush drinks.
A single large slush drink can deliver a dose that exceeds the level EFSA considers safe for children, causing symptoms of glycerol intoxication. Parents of young children should limit slush ice consumption.
What is it?
Glycerol (also called glycerin) is a colourless, sweet-tasting, viscous liquid that occurs naturally in all fats and oils as part of their molecular structure. For food use it is produced commercially by hydrolysis of plant oils (most commonly rapeseed or palm). It is classified as a polyol (sugar alcohol).
What does it do?
As a humectant it attracts and holds water molecules, keeping food moist and extending shelf life. It also lowers the freezing point of liquids, which is why it is used in slush drinks to keep them semi-frozen rather than solid. In confectionery it prevents sugar crystallisation; in pharmaceutical and cake preparations it acts as a plasticiser and solvent for flavourings.
Where you will see it
Slush ice drinks, soft drinks, confectionery (fondants, marshmallows, chewing gum), cakes and bakery products, dried fruits, processed fish and meat products, energy bars, liqueurs, and pharmaceutical preparations. On a label it appears as 'glycerol', 'glycerin' or 'E422'.
What the science says
Acute risk to children from slush drinks
In 2026 EFSA derived an acute reference dose of 125mg of glycerol per kilogram of body weight for a single consumption event. Modelling showed that a child drinking a standard 250ml slush ice drink would exceed this level. The assessment followed clinical reports of toddlers and young children experiencing glycerol intoxication after consuming slushies in a single sitting. EFSA recommended the European Commission set numerical maximum limits on glycerol in slush products.
EFSA derived an acute reference dose of 125mg/kg body weight for glycerol and concluded that acute exposure from slush ice drinks would exceed this level for all population groups, including adults.
Clinical case reports of glycerol intoxication in toddlers and young children following high intake of slush ice drinks prompted the European Commission to request the 2026 EFSA acute exposure assessment.
General toxicology at food-additive levels
EFSA's 2017 re-evaluation found glycerol has low acute toxicity. Gastrointestinal irritation seen in some animal studies at high doses was attributed to glycerol's hygroscopic and osmotic effects, not direct tissue damage. No genotoxicity concern was identified. Long-term carcinogenicity studies did not raise concern. EFSA concluded no numerical ADI was needed for typical food uses, consistent with the 1976 JECFA conclusion.
The EFSA ANS Panel found no concern for genotoxicity and no concern regarding carcinogenicity for glycerol at the reported food-additive use levels.
JECFA allocated glycerol an ADI 'not specified', reflecting that at normal dietary exposure levels glycerol is considered an ordinary metabolic substrate; the human body metabolises it through the same pathway as dietary fat.
Reproductive and prenatal developmental studies were considered limited in scope by EFSA, though no dose-related adverse effects were reported in the studies available.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
Parents of young children, especially toddlers, should be aware that a single standard slush drink can deliver a dose that exceeds EFSA's acute reference dose. Children who have consumed multiple slushies in quick succession or who show symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting or drowsiness should be monitored. Look for 'glycerol', 'glycerin' or 'E422' on slush drink labels.
The honest read
For most people eating glycerol in ordinary food, the quantities involved are small and the body processes glycerol through normal fat metabolism. The 2026 concern is specific: it is about acute, high-dose exposure from slush ice drinks, where large amounts of glycerol are used as the anti-freeze agent and can be consumed quickly in a single sitting, especially by small children. The regulatory picture is still in motion: EFSA has recommended new limits, but no law has been changed yet. The 2017 EFSA opinion covered chronic dietary exposure and found no concern at normal food-additive use levels; it is the acute slush-drink scenario that is now the live issue.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E422 banned in the UK?
No. Glycerol is permitted across a wide range of food categories in both the UK and EU. EFSA issued a 2026 opinion recommending numerical limits on its use in slush ice drinks, but no ban has been enacted.
Why did EFSA flag a concern in 2026?
EFSA was asked to assess acute, single-sitting exposure to glycerol from slush drinks after clinical reports of toddlers and young children experiencing glycerol intoxication. EFSA found that a standard 250ml slush drink for a child would exceed the acute reference dose it derived, and recommended the European Commission set legally binding limits on glycerol concentrations in slush products.
What foods contain E422?
Slush ice drinks are the highest-concern source. Glycerol also appears in confectionery such as marshmallows and chewing gum, bakery products, dried fruit, some processed fish and meat, liqueurs, nutritional supplements, and pharmaceutical preparations.
Is E422 vegan?
It can be. Glycerol for food use is most commonly derived from plant oils such as rapeseed or palm. Animal-derived glycerol (a by-product of soap manufacture from animal fat) exists but is less common in food. Labels rarely distinguish the source, so if the origin matters to you, contact the manufacturer directly.
Sources
- EFSA ANS Panel: Re-evaluation of glycerol (E 422) as a food additive (2017)
- EFSA ANS Panel: Safety of acute exposure to the food additive glycerol (E 422) from beverages (2026)
- PubMed: Re-evaluation of glycerol (E 422) as a food additive
- Food Ingredients First: EFSA warns glycerol slush drinks
- Food Safety Magazine: Europeans Exposed to High Doses of Glycerol in Drinks, EFSA Recommends Setting Limits
- JECFA monograph: Glycerol (ADI not specified, 1976)
Aaron Keen is the founder of NutraSafe. He researches and writes every additive entry himself, from the primary sources. About the research →
This is a guide, not medical advice. If an additive affects you, speak to your GP or a dietitian.
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