✅ Safety Verdict: Generally Safe
E476 (PGPR) is considered safe by food safety authorities and is well-tolerated by most people. It's used as a cost-saving measure in chocolate manufacturing. While not harmful, its presence often indicates lower quality chocolate with less cocoa butter.
💡 Quality Indicator
E476 is not dangerous, but it's often a sign of cost-cutting in chocolate production. Premium chocolates typically use more cocoa butter instead of relying on PGPR. If you see E476, the manufacturer is using less cocoa butter to save money.
What is E476 (PGPR)?
E476 is Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate (PGPR), an emulsifier made from castor oil and glycerol.
How it works:
- Reduces viscosity of chocolate – makes it flow better
- Improves coating properties – thin, even layers
- Replaces some cocoa butter function
- Allows thinner chocolate coatings on bars and sweets
Why it's used:
- Cost savings – cocoa butter is expensive, PGPR is cheap
- Manufacturing efficiency – chocolate flows better in machines
- Thinner coatings – uses less chocolate per product
- Consistent results – less variation in production
Where is E476 Found?
Chocolate Products:
- Chocolate bars – especially budget brands
- Chocolate-coated biscuits
- Chocolate spread
- Easter eggs and novelty chocolates
- Chocolate ice cream coatings
- Chocolate-coated sweets
Other Products:
- Salad dressings
- Margarine and spreads
- Some baked goods
E476 vs Cocoa Butter
Understanding why E476 is used reveals a lot about chocolate quality:
🍫 The Cocoa Butter Trade-Off
Cocoa butter is the natural fat in chocolate. It's expensive but gives chocolate its signature:
- Smooth melt-in-mouth texture
- Satisfying snap
- Rich flavour
E476 (PGPR) can replace some cocoa butter's function (flow properties) but:
- Doesn't provide the same texture
- Results in thinner, less satisfying chocolate
- Saves manufacturers significant money
Is E476 Safe?
✅ Safety Profile:
- EFSA approved – ADI of 25mg per kg body weight
- FDA approved – GRAS status
- Well-tolerated – no common side effects
- Metabolised normally – broken down into glycerol and fatty acids
Rare Concerns:
- Very rare allergic reactions reported
- High doses in animal studies showed enlarged liver/kidneys – but at levels far exceeding normal consumption
Is E476 Vegan?
Usually yes:
- Castor oil – from castor beans (plant-based)
- Glycerol – usually plant-derived, but can be from animal fat
Most manufacturers use plant-based glycerol, but strict vegans may want to check with specific brands.
Regulatory Status
UK/EU: Approved with ADI of 25mg per kg body weight
US: FDA approved, GRAS status
Restriction: Maximum 0.5% in chocolate products
How to Identify Quality Chocolate
Use E476 as a quality indicator:
- Premium chocolate: Lists only cocoa butter, no E476
- Mid-range chocolate: May use E476 alongside cocoa butter
- Budget chocolate: Often has E476 and lower cocoa butter
Look for:
- High cocoa butter percentage on label
- No vegetable fats (apart from cocoa butter)
- Short, simple ingredient list
The Bottom Line
- ✅ Safe for consumption – approved by all major authorities
- ✅ Well-tolerated – no common side effects
- ✅ Usually vegan – plant-derived
- ⚠️ Quality indicator – often means less cocoa butter
- ⚠️ Cost-cutting ingredient – not found in premium chocolate
- 💡 Not harmful, just revealing about product quality
Our recommendation: E476 is safe and won't harm you. However, it's a useful indicator of chocolate quality. If you want the best chocolate experience, choose products that rely on cocoa butter rather than emulsifiers. For everyday chocolate, E476 is nothing to worry about.
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Last updated: February 2026