What is it?
Stearyl tartrate is a synthetic ester made by reacting stearyl alcohol (a long-chain fatty alcohol derived from animal or plant fats) with tartaric acid. It forms a waxy, cream-coloured solid used as an emulsifier and dough conditioner.
E-numbers / Thickeners & emulsifiers / E483
Stearyl tartrate
An emulsifier once used in bread and confectionery doughs. Removed from EU approved additives in 2024 after industry failed to provide toxicology data that regulators needed to confirm it was acceptable.
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E483
Stearyl tartrate
The EU removed authorisation because EFSA could not confirm its acceptability for use in food, due to a lack of toxicological evidence.
What stearyl tartrate is, what it does and where you will see it
Why it’s worth knowing. The EU removed authorisation because EFSA could not confirm its acceptability for use in food, due to a lack of toxicological evidence. It is no longer permitted in foods sold in Northern Ireland or the EU. GB food law has not yet been updated to match.
What does it do?
In bread and baked goods, it works as a dough strengthener: it interacts with gluten proteins and starch to improve dough extensibility, gas retention and oven rise. It also acts as an emulsifier, helping fat and water mix evenly in batters and confectionery mixes, giving a more uniform texture and extended shelf life.
Where you will see it
Historically used in bread, fine bakery wares, confectionery, desserts, and flavoured fermented milk products. Since April 2024 it is no longer permitted in foods placed on the EU or Northern Ireland market. Any remaining stock from before that date may still carry it. On a UK label it appears as 'stearyl tartrate' or 'E483'.
What the science says
Why authorisation was removed: missing toxicology data
EFSA conducted a systematic re-evaluation of all food additives authorised before 2009 under its re-evaluation programme. For E483, industry stakeholders were asked to submit toxicological data, including long-term studies, to support a formal safety opinion. They did not provide the required information. Without that data, EFSA could not establish an acceptable daily intake or confirm the additive met the required standard of safety. The European Commission therefore removed it from the permitted list.
EFSA's re-evaluation programme found insufficient toxicological data to complete a safety assessment for stearyl tartrate. Industry failed to submit the studies requested, so EFSA could not confirm its acceptability as a food additive.
2023Regulatory reviewEFSA re-evaluation programme; European Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2379
EU Regulation 2023/2379 removed stearyl tartrate (E483) from the list of authorised food additives, effective 23 April 2024. Foods already lawfully placed on the market before that date may be sold until their date of minimum durability.
2023RegulatoryCommission Regulation (EU) 2023/2379
What the data gap means in practice
The removal reflects an absence of evidence rather than positive evidence of harm. No specific toxic mechanism has been identified for stearyl tartrate in the published literature, and it was used at low levels in a narrow range of foods. However, under EU and UK food law, an additive must be demonstrated to be acceptable before it is permitted, not merely presumed acceptable in the absence of data. The regulator's position is that if adequate studies are not submitted, the benefit of the doubt does not go to the additive.
The basis for removal was a data gap, not a positive finding of toxicity. No specific adverse effect has been identified in published scientific literature at the levels historically used in food.
2024RegulatoryAGRINFO Platform, reporting on EU Regulation 2023/2379
Where it stands with the regulators
Removed from EU authorised additives as of 23 April 2024. No longer permitted in foods placed on the Northern Ireland or EU market. Remains listed as approved in GB (Great Britain) food law, which has not yet been updated to mirror the EU removal.
- Legal basis
- Previously authorised under assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 (Annex II). Removed from EU list by Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2379. UK FSA approved-additives list still includes E483 for GB at time of writing.
- Permitted foods
- Bread and rolls (formerly); Fine bakery wares (formerly); Confectionery (formerly); Desserts (formerly); Flavoured fermented milk products (formerly)
- Maximum levels
- Varied by food category; typically 4000mg/kg in bread and bakery products under former EU authorisation
- Safe-intake limit (ADI)
- No ADI established by EFSA (insufficient data)
- History
- E483 was authorised under pre-2009 EU food additives legislation and carried over into Regulation 1333/2008. Under EFSA's systematic re-evaluation of legacy additives, industry stakeholders were required to submit toxicological dossiers. The necessary data were not submitted by the deadline. In October 2023 the European Commission adopted Regulation (EU) 2023/2379 removing E483, which took effect 23 April 2024. Northern Ireland follows EU rules; GB retains E483 in its assimilated law pending any separate FSA amendment. The FSA noted the practical impact on GB is expected to be minimal given limited use.
Who should be careful
Anyone buying foods manufactured for the EU or Northern Ireland market after April 2024 should not encounter E483 in new products. If you buy imported goods or older stock from before April 2024, check the ingredients list for 'stearyl tartrate' or 'E483'. People who wish to avoid additives whose long-term safety profile is formally unverified should check labels on any remaining stock.
The honest read
E483 was used at low levels in a small number of food products for decades without a specific harm being identified. The EU removal is not a finding that it causes harm, but an acknowledgment that the data needed to confirm its acceptability were never properly assembled. That is a distinct situation from an additive that has been thoroughly tested and cleared, and it is also distinct from one found to be harmful. The science here is absent rather than settled.
Common questions about stearyl tartrate
Is E483 banned in the UK?
It has been removed from the EU list of permitted food additives as of 23 April 2024 and is no longer permitted in foods placed on the Northern Ireland or EU market. In Great Britain, E483 remains in the assimilated food law that has not yet been updated to mirror the EU ban. In practice, most manufacturers have stopped using it. Check labels for 'stearyl tartrate' or 'E483'.
Why was E483 removed from the approved list?
EFSA could not complete a safety assessment because the industry did not submit the required toxicological studies. Under EU and UK food law, an additive must be positively demonstrated to be acceptable, not simply assumed to be harmless. With no adequate data, EFSA could not confirm the additive met the required standard, so the European Commission removed it.
What foods contain E483?
It was historically used in bread, bakery wares, confectionery, desserts, and flavoured fermented milk products as a dough conditioner and emulsifier. Since April 2024 it cannot be used in new products sold in the EU or Northern Ireland. Some older stock from before that date may still carry it until its use-by date.
Is E483 vegan?
Not reliably. Stearyl tartrate is made from stearyl alcohol, which can be derived from animal fats (usually tallow) or plant-based sources such as palm or coconut oil. The label does not specify the origin. Vegans and those avoiding animal derivatives should contact the manufacturer or avoid products listing E483.
Sources
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2379 of 24 October 2023 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008
- UK FSA: Approved additives and E numbers
- EU bans stearyl tartrate (E483) - AGRINFO Platform
- Stearyl tartrate (E483) removed from authorised additives - Food Compliance International
- Additive stearyl tartrate is being removed - Heraxfood
- EU regulation updates: Breakfast Directive and stearyl tartrate - Food Manufacture
- EFSA re-evaluation programme for food additives
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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