E-numbers / Other additives / E570
also: Stearic acid · Oleic acid · Palmitic acid
A group of common dietary fatty acids used to stop powders clumping together and to coat or glaze confectionery and supplements.
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Maize Starch, Tapioca Starch, Soya Bran, Palm Oil, Invert Sugar, Emulsifier: Diacetyltartaric Acid Esters of Fatty Acids, Salt, Colour: Beta Carotene
EFSA found E570 is absorbed like dietary fatty acids and raised no genotoxicity concern, with no toxic effects seen at doses up to 10 percent of the diet.
Why it’s worth knowing. EFSA found E570 is absorbed like dietary fatty acids and raised no genotoxicity concern, with no toxic effects seen at doses up to 10 percent of the diet.
E570 covers a defined group of straight-chain saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids: caprylic acid (C8), capric acid (C10), lauric acid (C12), myristic acid (C14), palmitic acid (C16), stearic acid (C18) and oleic acid (C18:1). These are the same fatty acids found naturally in foods such as dairy, meat, coconut oil and olive oil. As a food additive they are used in purified, food-grade form.
As an anticaking agent, fatty acids coat the surface of powder particles to repel moisture and prevent clumping. As a glazing and coating agent, they form a thin protective or lubricating film on the surface of tablets, confectionery shells and dried fruits. They work through their physical chemistry: the long hydrophobic carbon chain resists water and reduces friction between particles.
Chewing gum bases, hard confectionery shells, food supplements and vitamin tablets, dried egg powder, dehydrated potato products, and some fine bakery pre-mixes. On a UK label it appears as 'fatty acids' or 'E570'.
The European Food Safety Authority's panel on food additives reviewed E570 in 2019. Because these fatty acids are normal components of the human diet and are metabolised through ordinary fat-digestion pathways, the panel found no safety concern at the levels used in food. No numerical acceptable daily intake was set, as dietary exposure from additive use was judged to be a small fraction of natural intake.
The ANS Panel concluded that fatty acids (E 570) raise no safety concern at reported use and use levels in food, and no numerical ADI was considered necessary.
Fatty acids such as palmitic, stearic and oleic acid are major constituents of everyday fats and oils. The body breaks them down through beta-oxidation, the same pathway used for dietary fats from meat, dairy and vegetable oils. Additive use contributes a negligible quantity compared with normal dietary fat intake, which typically runs to tens of grams per day.
Palmitic acid (C16) and stearic acid (C18) are among the most abundant fatty acids in the UK diet, contributed by dairy, meat and cooking fats at gram-per-day levels far exceeding any additive exposure.
People following a vegan or plant-based diet should note that fatty acids used as food additives may be derived from animal tallow as well as from plant oils such as palm or coconut. The label term 'fatty acids' or 'E570' does not indicate the source. Those avoiding animal-derived ingredients should contact the manufacturer to confirm the origin.
E570 is one of the more straightforward additives on the approved list. The fatty acids it covers are the same molecules present in butter, olive oil and coconut oil, and the body processes them identically whether they come from food or from a glazing coat on a chewing gum. The only live question for shoppers is animal versus plant origin, which the E-number alone cannot answer.
No. E570 is approved for use in the UK under assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 and appears on the FSA approved-additives list.
Yes. E570 covers palmitic, stearic, oleic and several other fatty acids that are major components of everyday foods such as butter, meat, olive oil and coconut oil. The additive version is a purified, food-grade form of the same molecules.
Most commonly chewing gum, the shells and coatings on hard confectionery, vitamin and supplement tablets, and some dried food powders such as dehydrated potato and dried egg. It may also appear as a glazing agent on dried fruits.
Not necessarily. Fatty acids used as food additives can be derived from animal tallow or from plant oils such as palm or coconut. The E-number alone does not indicate the source. Check with the manufacturer if animal origin matters to you.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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