Esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
E472
E472, E472a, E472b, E472c, E472d, E472e, E472f, esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides, DATEM, ésteres de los mono y diglicéridos de ácidos grasos
What it is
E472 is not one substance but a family of different emulsifiers. Each letter identifies mono- and diglycerides combined with a different organic acid.
Why BOTIA flags it
E472 is not one substance but several: mono- and diglycerides combined with different acids, and each letter identifies a different additive. E472e, called DATEM, is used to strengthen industrial bread dough. The body breaks these additives down into their components, and JECFA evaluates the subclasses separately: some have no numerical intake limit, while DATEM has an ADI of 0–50 mg/kg body weight. As with E471, their fatty acids may come from plant or animal sources, and the label does not establish which.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect E472a–E472f, DATEM and the corresponding common names when they appear on an ingredient list.
- Explain that each E472 letter is a different additive, show the different JECFA evaluations and flag source traceability when the fatty-acid origin is not declared.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine whether the fatty acids came from plant or animal material when the manufacturer does not disclose the source.
- Treat the generic term E472 as if every subclass had the same composition, function or JECFA intake evaluation.