E-numbers / Thickeners & emulsifiers / E472b
also: Lactem · LACTEM
An emulsifier made from fats and lactic acid. It keeps bread soft, holds whipped cream up and makes spreads smooth. A large French study linked eating more of it to heart disease and stroke.
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Whole Milk · Whipping Cream (Milk) (21%) · Water · Sugar · Dried Skimmed Milk · Invert Sugar Syrup · Instant Coffee (2%) · Cornflour · Beef Gelatine · Emulsifier: E472b · Vanilla Extract.
Lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides, also called LACTEM, are made by joining partly broken-down fats to lactic acid, the acid in fermented foods.
220
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E472b in their ingredients
That is 0.5%, counted by its code or its name.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
Lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides, also called LACTEM, are made by joining partly broken-down fats to lactic acid, the acid in fermented foods. The fats can come from plants or animals. The result is an emulsifier, which means it stops oil and water separating.
It sits where oil and water meet and keeps them mixed. In bread and cakes it slows staling and improves the crumb. In squirty cream and whipped toppings it holds the air bubbles. In margarine and spreads it gives a smooth, even texture. The lactic acid also adds a little acidity.
Packaged sliced bread, rolls and cakes, squirty cream, margarine and low-fat spreads, coffee whiteners, and some infant formula. UK labels call it E472b or lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids.
The NutriNet-Santé study asked about 95,000 French adults to record everything they ate, then followed their health for about 7 years. People who ate more E472b had more heart and circulation disease, and more disease of the blood vessels in the brain, such as stroke. This shows a link, not proof that E472b causes it, and the researchers said the results need repeating in other groups of people.
Among 95,442 French adults followed for a median of 7.4 years, higher intake of lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides (E472b) was linked to higher risk of heart and circulation disease and of disease of the blood vessels in the brain.
In the gut LACTEM is broken down into glycerol, lactic acid and fats. All three are normal parts of food and are used or passed out in the usual ways. Because it breaks down so quickly into everyday substances, it does not build up in the body.
Reviewers concluded E472b is largely broken down in the gut into glycerol, lactic acid and fats, which are normal parts of the diet handled in the usual ways.
When European reviewers looked at it in 2020, there were no long-term cancer studies or multi-generation reproduction studies of E472b itself. Short and medium-term animal studies showed no harm. They set no numerical daily limit, because what it breaks down into are ordinary food substances and no toxicity was found at permitted levels.
Short and medium-term animal studies showed no harm from E472b. No long-term cancer studies were found. Reviewers noted this as a gap in the data but, given what it breaks down into, did not treat it as a safety issue.
No numerical daily limit was set, because reviewers found no evidence of harm at permitted levels and it breaks down into normal food substances.
The fat in LACTEM usually comes from plant oils such as sunflower or palm, but it can come from animal fat, including pork or beef fat. Unless the label says so, a shopper cannot tell whether a product's E472b is vegan or meets religious rules. UK law does not make makers say where the fat came from.
Mono- and diglyceride esters, LACTEM included, may be made from animal or plant fats, and UK and EU labels do not have to say which beyond the E-number.
Daily limit. None set (European reviewers, 2020).
Vegans, vegetarians and anyone keeping halal or kosher should know E472b may be made from animal fat. The label will say E472b or lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, but not where the fat came from. Ask the maker if it matters to you.
E472b is one of a large family of emulsifiers made from fats, used in food for decades. The 2020 European review found nothing in the toxicity data to raise a concern at the amounts used, and set no daily limit because it breaks straight down into things the body already handles. There are, though, no long-term studies of E472b itself.
The newer question is the French NutriNet-Santé research, which linked higher intake to heart disease and stroke. That is one large study and shows a link, not proof. The everyday issue for many shoppers is simpler: the fat source is not on the label, which matters for vegans and religious diets.
No. E472b is allowed in the UK and is on the Food Standards Agency's approved list.
A French study of 95,442 adults, published in 2023, found people who ate more E472b had more heart and circulation disease and more stroke-type disease. It is one observational study and shows a link, not proof that E472b causes it.
Not necessarily. The fats used to make it can come from plant oils or animal fats such as lard or tallow. UK law does not make makers say which, so you cannot tell from the label. Ask the maker if you need to be sure.
Mostly packaged sliced bread and rolls, cakes, squirty cream, margarine and low-fat spreads, coffee whiteners and some infant formula.
No. The gut breaks it down into glycerol, lactic acid and fats, all ordinary parts of food that the body uses or passes out.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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