Sorbitan tristearate
A plant-derived emulsifier that stops fats and water separating in chocolate, sweets and coatings.
What is it?
Sorbitan tristearate is a sorbitan ester made by combining sorbitol (a sugar alcohol derived from glucose) with three molecules of stearic acid, a fatty acid found in animal fats and vegetable oils such as shea and cocoa butter. It is one of five sorbitan esters (E491-E495) authorised in the UK and EU.
What does it do?
It acts as an emulsifier: its molecule has both water-attracting and fat-attracting ends, allowing it to sit at the boundary between fat and water phases and prevent them from separating. In chocolate it also inhibits fat bloom, the white streaking that forms when cocoa butter migrates and recrystallises on the surface. It is often used alongside polysorbates (E432-E436) for this purpose.
Where you will see it
Most commonly found in chocolate and chocolate-flavoured coatings, sugar confectionery, cake icings and glazes, coffee whiteners, vegetable cream alternatives, and fat-based fillings. It appears on ingredient lists as 'sorbitan tristearate', 'E492', or within the group term 'emulsifier (E492)'.
What the science says
EFSA safety review
The European Food Safety Authority evaluated sorbitan esters as a group (E491-E495) and concluded that none showed genotoxic properties in standard laboratory tests. The authority set a group ADI of 10 mg/kg body weight per day. Dietary exposure modelling across EU populations, including high consumers such as children, did not exceed this figure at permitted use levels.
EFSA found no evidence of genotoxicity for sorbitan esters in a battery of in vitro and in vivo tests and set a group ADI of 10 mg/kg body weight per day.
Estimated dietary exposure to sorbitan esters in European populations did not exceed the group ADI even for high-consuming children when assessed against permitted maximum levels.
Metabolism and absorption
Sorbitan esters are not efficiently absorbed intact. In the gut, digestive enzymes partly hydrolyse them into sorbitol and stearic acid, both of which are normal dietary components. The fraction that is not hydrolysed passes through largely unabsorbed. At typical food-use levels there is no evidence of accumulation or organ burden.
Animal feeding studies at high doses showed no adverse effects on organs or body weight at doses far above realistic human dietary exposure from permitted uses.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
No specific population group needs to avoid E492 on health grounds. People following strict vegan diets should note that the stearic acid used to manufacture it may be animal-derived, though plant-derived versions also exist; the label will not distinguish the source. Look for 'sorbitan tristearate' or 'E492' on the ingredients list.
The honest read
Sorbitan tristearate is one of the most thoroughly characterised emulsifiers in the food supply. It belongs to a group that has been in regulated use for decades and was formally re-evaluated by EFSA in 2015 with no new concerns raised. The animal studies used to set the ADI applied doses many times higher than any realistic food intake. There is no IARC classification, no EU or UK ban, no endocrine-disruption flag, and no link to hyperactivity or allergen reactions in published literature. The science here is settled rather than live.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E492 banned in the UK?
No. E492 is authorised in England, Scotland and Wales under the UK FSA approved-additives list, carried over from EU Regulation 1333/2008 on EU Exit.
Is E492 vegan?
Not necessarily. Sorbitan tristearate is made from stearic acid, which can come from animal fat (tallow) or vegetable oil. Food labelling does not require manufacturers to specify the source. If this matters to you, contact the manufacturer directly.
What foods contain E492?
It is most commonly found in chocolate and chocolate coatings, sugar confectionery, cake icings and glazes, coffee whiteners, and vegetable cream alternatives. On the label it appears as 'sorbitan tristearate' or 'emulsifier (E492)'.
What is the difference between E492 and the other sorbitan esters?
The sorbitan esters (E491-E495) all share the same sorbitol backbone but carry different fatty acid chains. E491 (sorbitan monostearate) carries one stearic acid chain; E492 carries three. More fatty acid chains make E492 more fat-soluble and less water-soluble, which suits fat-bloom control in chocolate. They are regulated as a group with a shared ADI.
Sources
- EFSA ANS Panel: Re-evaluation of sorbitan monostearate (E 491), sorbitan tristearate (E 492), sorbitan monolaurate (E 493), sorbitan monooleate (E 494) and sorbitan monopalmitate (E 495) as food additives
- UK FSA Regulated Products: E-492 Sorbitan Tristearate
- UK FSA: Approved additives and E numbers
- EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (assimilated into UK law)
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