E-numbers / Thickeners & emulsifiers / E481
also: SSL · Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate
Made from a fat and lactic acid, it keeps supermarket bread soft for days and gives it an even crumb.
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Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Yeast, Salt, Soya Flour, Preservative: E282, Emulsifiers: E472e, E471, E481, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid
Sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) is made by joining stearic acid, a fat found in animal and plant fats, to lactic acid, the acid in yoghurt.
602
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E481 in their ingredients
That is 1.4%, counted by its code or its name.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
Sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) is made by joining stearic acid, a fat found in animal and plant fats, to lactic acid, the acid in yoghurt. It is a white or cream powder. The name comes from its two parts: stearoyl from stearic acid, and lactylate from lactic acid.
It holds on to both fat and water, so they mix evenly in dough. In bread it strengthens the gluten, trapping gas bubbles for a smoother, more even crumb. It also slows the starch going hard, which is why bread with E481 stays soft for longer. In industrial baking it makes dough easier for machines to handle.
Mostly factory-made bread, rolls, burger buns and sandwich loaves. Also tortillas, waffles, pancake mixes, cream-filled biscuits, coffee whiteners, dried potato products and some spreads. UK labels call it emulsifier (sodium stearoyl lactylate), emulsifier (E481) or E481.
In the gut, SSL breaks down into stearic acid and lactic acid, both normal parts of the body's chemistry. Stearic acid is a common saturated fat in food, and lactic acid is made by the muscles during exercise and is in fermented foods. The body handles them the same way as when they come from food.
Reviewers found no DNA-damage concern for SSL or for stearic and lactic acid, based on the lab and animal data available.
A one-year feeding study in rats found no harm at 2,200mg per kg of body weight a day. Dividing by the standard safety factor of 100, European reviewers set a daily limit of 22mg per kg in 2013, replacing the 20mg per kg set by the international committee in 1974. At the amounts used in food, estimated intakes in Europe were below it.
A one-year study in rats found no harm at 2,200mg per kg of body weight a day, with no sign of cancer, effects on reproduction or damage to organs at any dose tested.
Reviewers set a daily limit of 22mg per kg of body weight for E481 and E482, alone or together, from the rat result and a safety factor of 100.
SSL is mostly made with stearic acid from plants, usually palm or soya, but stearic acid from beef or pork fat can be used too. The label does not say which. Vegans, people avoiding pork or beef for religious reasons, and people keeping halal or kosher cannot tell from the label and would need to ask the maker.
E481 may be made from animal or vegetable fats, and the label alone does not tell you which.
Daily limit. 22mg per kg of body weight a day, for E481 and E482 alone or together (European reviewers, 2013).
Vegans, people avoiding pork or beef for religious reasons, and people keeping halal or kosher should ask the maker, as the stearic acid may come from animal fat. Look for sodium stearoyl lactylate or E481.
E481 is one of the older emulsifiers, with an international review from 1974 and a full European review in 2013. It breaks down into ordinary parts of the diet, and regulators have not flagged gaps in the data or restricted it. For most shoppers the live question is not its effects but its source: whether the stearic acid came from an animal or a plant, which the label does not say. It is one of the ingredients that marks a loaf as factory-made.
No. E481 is approved in the UK and has been in continuous use since the 1970s.
It can be. The stearic acid may come from vegetable oil, such as palm or soya, or from beef or pork fat. The label does not say which, so vegans and people with religious dietary rules would need to ask the maker.
Mostly factory-made bread, burger buns, rolls, tortillas, waffles, pancake mixes, cream-filled biscuits, coffee whiteners and some dried potato products. Labels call it emulsifier (E481) or emulsifier (sodium stearoyl lactylate).
Not necessarily. Many makers use plant-based stearic acid, but animal-based is also allowed and used. The only way to be sure is to ask the maker.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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