DATEM
An emulsifier made from fats and tartaric acid, used mainly to improve the texture and rise of bread and baked goods.
DATEM is derived from partially hydrogenated or other fat sources and can carry a small amount of industrial trans fatty acids; regular dietary trans fat intake is linked to raised LDL cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease.
What is it?
DATEM stands for diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids. It is made by reacting glycerol-based fatty acid esters (derived from food fats and oils) with acetic anhydride and tartaric acid. The result is a complex mixture of partially esterified glycerides. The fatty acids used reflect the starting fat, which historically included partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and therefore could contain trans fatty acids, though many producers have reformulated to use non-hydrogenated fats.
What does it do?
DATEM works as an emulsifier and dough conditioner. In bread, it strengthens gluten networks by interacting with gluten proteins, giving dough better gas-retention and producing a more open crumb structure with improved volume. It also delays staling. In other bakery products it helps oil and water phases mix stably.
Where you will see it
Sliced and wrapped bread, rolls, burger buns, crumpets, English muffins, cake mixes, sweet pastries, margarine, and some coffee creamers. On a UK ingredient label it appears as 'DATEM', 'E472e', or 'diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids'.
What the science says
Trans fatty acid content
DATEM produced from partially hydrogenated oils can contain industrial trans fatty acids (iTFAs). iTFAs raise LDL ('bad') cholesterol and lower HDL ('good') cholesterol. The WHO has called for global elimination of iTFAs from food supplies. Many manufacturers now produce DATEM from non-hydrogenated fats, which significantly reduces or eliminates iTFA content, but this varies by supplier and is not always visible to consumers.
Industrial trans fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol, and are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease; WHO has called for their elimination from food supplies by 2023.
EFSA's re-evaluation of E472a-f noted that the fatty acid profile of DATEM, including potential trans fatty acid content, depends on the starting fat used, and flagged this as a compositional variable relevant to dietary exposure.
EFSA 2020 re-evaluation and ADI
EFSA's food additives panel re-evaluated E472a through E472f as a group in 2020. The panel concluded that the available toxicological data were limited and that no numerical ADI could be set on the basis of conventional toxicology studies; instead the panel set a group ADI of 'not specified' for the fatty acid and glycerol breakdown products (which are normal dietary constituents), while flagging data gaps around the acetic and tartaric acid ester moieties at high doses. This is a regulatory caution, not a clearance.
EFSA's FAF Panel could not set a numerical ADI for E472e; it set a group ADI of 'not specified' for components that are normal dietary constituents but flagged data gaps for the esterified moieties at high exposure levels.
Digestibility and metabolic fate
DATEM is hydrolysed in the gut to its component parts: glycerol, fatty acids, tartaric acid, and acetic acid, all of which are normal constituents of food and metabolism. At the doses found in bread and bakery products, the breakdown products themselves are not considered to pose a distinct hazard beyond the trans fat issue noted above.
DATEM is hydrolysed during digestion to glycerol, fatty acids, tartaric acid and acetic acid; the panel noted these are endogenous or normal dietary constituents and do not raise specific metabolic concerns at typical food-use levels.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
People limiting trans fat intake for cardiovascular reasons should check whether the bread or bakery product containing E472e was made with a DATEM derived from hydrogenated fats. The label will not distinguish trans-fat-bearing DATEM from reformulated versions. If trans fat content matters to you, look for products that declare '0g trans fats' in the nutrition information.
The honest read
The scientific picture for DATEM splits into two distinct questions. The first is the trans fat question: DATEM made from partially hydrogenated oils is a potential vehicle for industrial trans fats, which have a strong and consistent evidence base linking them to heart disease. The second is whether the ester chemistry of DATEM itself poses any independent concern. EFSA's 2020 re-evaluation found the toxicological data too sparse to draw a firm conclusion either way, flagged data gaps, and declined to set a numerical ADI. That is an honest statement of uncertainty, not a verdict. Industry has broadly reformulated DATEM to use non-hydrogenated fats, but this shift is not auditable from a label. The science on the ester compounds themselves remains thin.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E472e banned in the UK?
No. E472e is approved for use in the UK under the assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008, which was carried into UK law after Brexit. It is permitted in bread, bakery products, margarines, and several other food categories.
Does DATEM contain trans fats?
It can. DATEM is made from fatty acids, and if the starting fat was a partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, the DATEM will carry industrial trans fatty acids. Many manufacturers have switched to non-hydrogenated fat sources to produce DATEM with minimal trans fat content, but this is not declared separately on UK labels. Checking the nutrition panel for trans fat content (where declared) is the only consumer-visible route.
What foods contain E472e?
E472e is most common in wrapped sliced bread, rolls, burger buns, crumpets, English muffins, cake mixes, sweet pastries, and some margarine spreads. It may also appear in coffee whiteners and emulsified sauces. On the label it will read as 'DATEM' or 'E472e'.
Is E472e vegan?
Not always. DATEM is derived from mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, which can come from animal fats (such as lard or beef tallow) as well as vegetable oils. The label does not specify the fat source. Products certified vegan will use plant-derived DATEM, but standard E472e labelling gives no indication of origin.
Sources
- EFSA FAF Panel re-evaluation of E472a-f (acetic, lactic, tartaric, mono- and diacetyltartaric, mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), EFSA Journal 2020;18(3):e06032
- UK FSA Approved Additives and E Numbers
- WHO REPLACE package: eliminating industrially produced trans-fatty acids from the global food supply
- EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives, Annex II
- EFSA scientific opinion on specifications for E472a,b,d,e,f (PubMed reference to 2025 follow-up opinion)
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