Calcium stearoyl fumarate
An emulsifier and dough conditioner made from calcium, stearic acid and fumaric acid. Not on the current UK or EU permitted food additives list.
E486 does not appear in the UK FSA approved-additives list or EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex II. Its presence on a UK or EU food label would be unlawful under current rules. Look for it listed as 'calcium stearoyl fumarate' or 'E486' in ingredients.
What is it?
Calcium stearoyl fumarate is a calcium salt formed from stearic acid (a long-chain saturated fatty acid found in animal fats and vegetable oils) and fumaric acid (a naturally occurring organic acid). It is a white to off-white powder. It is structurally related to, but distinct from, the approved emulsifiers E481 (sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate) and E482 (calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate).
What does it do?
It acts as an emulsifier and dough conditioner. In bread and baked goods manufacturing, stearoyl-fumarate compounds strengthen gluten networks, improve dough machinability, increase loaf volume and slow staling. The fumarate ester group interacts with starch and protein in dough in a similar way to lactylate-based emulsifiers.
Where you will see it
Because E486 is not authorised in UK or EU food products, it should not appear in foods sold in these markets. Historically, stearoyl fumarate compounds have been studied for use in bread, rolls, biscuits and pasta. If you spot 'E486' or 'calcium stearoyl fumarate' on a UK ingredient list, that product may be non-compliant with current food law.
What the science says
Regulatory non-authorisation
E486 does not appear in Annex II of EU Regulation 1333/2008 (the Community list of permitted food additives) and is absent from the UK FSA approved-additives list. Without an authorisation, it cannot legally be used as a food additive in the UK or EU. Unlike its close relatives E481 and E482, which were re-evaluated by EFSA in 2013, E486 has not been granted a positive safety opinion that led to authorisation.
E486 (calcium stearoyl fumarate) does not appear in the UK FSA approved food additives list.
Only food additives included in the Community list in Annex II of Regulation 1333/2008 may lawfully be used in food placed on the EU market. E486 is not listed in Annex II.
Comparison with authorised stearoyl emulsifiers
The structurally related stearoyl-2-lactylates (E481, E482) are fully authorised in the UK and EU and were re-evaluated by EFSA in 2013, which set an ADI of 20 mg/kg body weight per day (individually or combined). That evaluation covered lactylate esters, not fumarate esters. No equivalent positive EFSA opinion for calcium stearoyl fumarate has been identified in publicly available literature.
EFSA re-evaluated sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (E481) and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate (E482) and confirmed their authorisation with an ADI of 20 mg/kg bw/day. Calcium stearoyl fumarate (E486) was not part of this evaluation.
Third-country regulatory status
No primary regulatory source confirms that calcium stearoyl fumarate is authorised as a food additive in the United States, Canada, or Australia. The US FDA has authorised the closely related compound sodium stearyl fumarate (21 CFR 172.826) as a dough conditioner in baked goods and dehydrated potatoes, and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate (21 CFR 172.844) separately. Neither of these is the same compound as calcium stearoyl fumarate. No listing for calcium stearoyl fumarate was found in FDA 21 CFR food additive regulations, Health Canada's Lists of Permitted Food Additives, or FSANZ Schedule 15/Standard 1.3.1.
Sodium stearyl fumarate is permitted in the US as a dough conditioner under 21 CFR 172.826, but calcium stearoyl fumarate is not listed as a permitted food additive in FDA regulations.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
Anyone in the UK or EU should not encounter E486 in a legal food product. If you see 'E486' or 'calcium stearoyl fumarate' on a UK product label, the product may be non-compliant. People with known sensitivities to fumaric acid or stearic acid derivatives should also note this compound if they encounter it in imports from countries that may authorise it under different rules.
The honest read
E486 is one of a cluster of stearoyl ester compounds that food technologists have studied as dough conditioners and emulsifiers. Its close relatives (E481, E482) are well-established in UK bread-making. E486 itself, however, sits outside the approved list, which means the normal route of regulatory scrutiny, a positive EFSA opinion followed by an Annex II listing, has not been completed for it. That absence is the relevant fact here. There is no body of independent toxicology raising specific alarm about stearoyl fumarates at food-use levels, but equally there is no regulatory approval in place.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E486 banned in the UK?
E486 is not on the UK FSA approved-additives list, which means it is not authorised for use in food sold in the UK. Under UK food law, a food additive cannot be used unless it is specifically permitted. Whether that constitutes a 'ban' or simply the absence of authorisation is a legal distinction, but the practical result is the same: it should not appear in UK food products.
Why does E486 appear in some additive databases if it is not approved?
Some additive catalogues and databases list E numbers that were studied or proposed but never formally authorised, alongside those that are approved. The presence of an E number in a database does not mean the additive is permitted in the UK or EU. Always cross-check against the FSA approved-additives list and EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex II.
What foods contain E486?
No UK or EU food products should lawfully contain E486. It has been studied for potential use in bread, biscuits, pasta and similar baked goods as a dough conditioner, but without authorisation it cannot legally be added to food on sale in the UK or EU market.
Is E486 vegan?
Calcium stearoyl fumarate can be produced from either animal-derived or plant-derived stearic acid. Whether a given source is vegan depends on the raw material origin. Since E486 is not an authorised food additive in the UK or EU, this question is largely theoretical for UK shoppers.
Sources
- UK FSA: Approved Additives and E Numbers
- EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (EUR-Lex)
- EFSA Scientific Opinion: re-evaluation of sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (E481) and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate (E482) as food additives, EFSA Journal 2013
- US FDA eCFR 21 CFR 172.826: Sodium stearyl fumarate (a related but distinct permitted additive)
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