E-numbers  /  Thickeners & emulsifiers  /  E472f

Mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides

An emulsifier made from food fats combined with acetic and tartaric acids, used to improve texture and extend shelf life in baked goods.

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E472fThickener / Emulsifier

Mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides

E472f, also known as MATEM (mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), is produced by reacting mono- and diglycerides from edible fats and oils with a mixture of acetic acid and tartaric acid.

What mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides is, what it does and where you will see it

What is it?

E472f, also known as MATEM (mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), is produced by reacting mono- and diglycerides from edible fats and oils with a mixture of acetic acid and tartaric acid. The result is a yellowish to brown semi-solid or waxy substance. The fat source is typically vegetable oil, though animal fats can also be used. It belongs to the E472 family, a group of chemically related emulsifiers each built on a fat-plus-acid backbone.

What does it do?

Acts as an emulsifier and dough conditioner. In baked goods it strengthens gluten networks and stabilises gas bubbles produced by yeast or baking powder, giving bread and cakes a finer, more uniform crumb and better volume. It also slows staling by retarding the recrystallisation of starch. In other foods it helps oil and water stay blended and improves the smoothness and spreadability of the final product.

Where you will see it

Most commonly found in bread, rolls and morning goods where it is used alongside yeast. Also appears in fine bakery wares such as cakes, muffins and pastries, in processed cheese products, margarine, creamy desserts, confectionery, and processed meat products. In food supplements it can act as a carrier or stabiliser. On a UK label it appears as E472f or as 'mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids'. It is approved in around 67 food categories under EU Regulation 1333/2008 (assimilated into UK law).

What the science says

How the body handles it

EFSA concluded in its 2020 re-evaluation that E472f is broken down in the gut into its component parts: acetic acid, tartaric acid, glycerol, and fatty acids. All of these are normal constituents of the diet and are either used for energy or excreted. No toxicologically significant breakdown products were identified.

E472f is extensively hydrolysed in the gastrointestinal tract into acetic acid, tartaric acid, glycerol and fatty acids, all of which are normal dietary constituents metabolised by established pathways.

2020Regulatory reviewEFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), EFSA Journal

ADI and exposure

The acceptable daily intake for E472f is linked to the group ADI for L(+)-tartaric acid and tartrates (E334-337, E354). EFSA expressed the ADI at 600 mg/kg body weight per day based on tartaric acid content. At permitted use levels in food, dietary exposure estimates for most population groups fell well below this figure.

The 2020 EFSA re-evaluation established an ADI for E472f expressed as tartaric acid, derived from the group ADI of 240 mg/kg body weight per day for L(+)-tartaric acid.

2020Regulatory reviewEFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), EFSA Journal 2020:6032

Data gaps flagged by regulators

EFSA noted several unresolved specification issues. No limits are set for 3-MCPD esters or glycidyl esters, contaminants that can form during the refining of vegetable oils used as raw materials. The current specification also does not require that only the L(+) form of tartaric acid is used; the D(-) form can be metabolised differently. These are characterisation gaps rather than demonstrated harms at realistic food intakes, but they mean the picture is not fully closed.

EFSA identified that specifications for E472f lack maximum limits for 3-MCPD esters and glycidyl esters, and do not mandate the exclusive use of L(+)-tartaric acid.

2020Regulatory reviewEFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), EFSA Journal 2020:6032

Glycidyl fatty acid esters are process contaminants that can arise from refined vegetable oil feedstocks. They are hydrolysed to glycidol in the digestive tract. Glycidol itself is classified as probably carcinogenic to humans (IARC Group 2A, Volume 77, 2000). Glycidyl esters as a category are assessed under the EFSA contaminant framework, not under a separate standalone IARC classification.

2000; 2016RegulatoryIARC Monographs Volume 77 (glycidol); EFSA CONTAM Panel, EFSA Journal 2016:4426 (glycidyl fatty acid esters)

Infant and young child foods

E472f is permitted in some infant formula and processed cereal-based foods for young children, but at tightly controlled specific maximum levels. The broader E472c (citric acid esters) has received separate EFSA scrutiny for infant use. For E472f specifically, the 2020 opinion noted that infant exposure from foods in which it is authorised should be monitored as part of the group tartaric acid intake.

E472f is authorised in infant formulae and processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children at specific maximum levels, and EFSA recommended monitoring cumulative tartaric acid intake in these groups.

2020Regulatory reviewEFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), EFSA Journal 2020:6032

Vegetarian and vegan considerations

E472f can be made from either animal fats or vegetable oils. The finished additive does not carry a label declaration specifying the fat source, so shoppers avoiding animal products cannot determine origin from the E-number alone.

Mono- and diglycerides used as feedstock for E472 emulsifiers may be derived from animal or vegetable fats; the E-number does not specify the source.

RegulatoryUK Food Standards Agency guidance on food additives

Where it stands with the regulators

Approved for use in the UK and EU
Legal basis
UK FSA approved-additives list and assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 (Annex II)
Permitted foods
Bread and rolls; Fine bakery wares (cakes, pastries, muffins, biscuits); Processed cheese and cheese products; Margarine and fat spreads; Confectionery and chocolate products; Processed meat and fish products; Desserts and creamy products; Food supplements; Infant formulae and processed cereal-based foods for young children (at specific maximum levels)
Maximum levels
Quantum satis (use at no more than the amount necessary to achieve the intended effect) for most categories; specific maximum levels apply in infant and young child foods (ranging from 5,000 to 9,000 mg/kg)
Safe-intake limit (ADI)
600 mg/kg body weight per day, expressed as tartaric acid (EFSA 2020); derived from the group ADI for L(+)-tartaric acid
History
E472f has been authorised under EU food additives legislation since the original framework regulations. EFSA conducted a systematic re-evaluation of all E472a-f emulsifiers in 2020 as part of the programme to reassess pre-2009 authorised additives. The 2020 opinion concluded the data were sufficient for the assessment, but flagged specification gaps around 3-MCPD esters, glycidyl esters, and tartaric acid isomer control. No bans or use restrictions resulted from the re-evaluation. In 2025, a separate EFSA follow-up opinion addressed specifications for E472a, b, d, e and f.

Who should be careful

People following a strict vegan or vegetarian diet should be aware that E472f may be derived from animal fats; checking with the manufacturer is the only way to confirm the fat source. There are no allergen declarations required for E472f under UK food law. Anyone managing tartaric acid intake for medical reasons should note that E472f contributes to total tartaric acid load.

The honest read

E472f is one of a large family of fat-derived emulsifiers that have been used in commercial baking for decades. The 2020 EFSA re-evaluation found nothing in the toxicological record that raised a health-based concern at the levels people actually consume from food. The main open questions are specification-level issues, chiefly the absence of limits for minor contaminants that can come from refined vegetable oil feedstocks. These are not concerns about the emulsifier itself but about what might accompany it during manufacturing. The science is well-established for the core substance, with some tidy-up work on specifications still outstanding.

Common questions about mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides

Is E472f banned in the UK?

No. E472f is permitted in the UK under the assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives, which forms part of UK retained law. The UK Food Standards Agency lists it as an approved additive.

Does E472f contain animal products?

It can. E472f is made from mono- and diglycerides, which may come from animal fats or vegetable oils. The E-number on a label does not tell you which. If you are avoiding animal-derived ingredients, you need to contact the manufacturer directly.

What foods contain E472f?

It is most common in commercially produced bread, rolls and cakes where it acts as a dough conditioner and anti-staling agent. You will also find it in some processed cheese products, margarine, confectionery, desserts and food supplements.

Is E472f vegan?

Not necessarily. It depends on the fat source used by the individual manufacturer. Some producers use only vegetable oils; others use animal fats. The E-number alone cannot confirm vegan status.

Sources

Last reviewed: 20 June 2026

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