Stearoyl Lactylates
E481, E482
E481, E482, stearoyl lactylates, sodium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, SSL, calcium stearoyl lactylate, calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate, CSL
What it is
Two emulsifying bread improvers: sodium stearoyl lactylate (E481) and calcium stearoyl lactylate (E482). They interact with dough components to improve structure and softness.
Why BOTIA flags it
Stearoyl lactylates strengthen industrial bread dough: they help it rise better and keep the crumb soft for longer. The body breaks them down into stearic acid and lactic acid, both already present in the diet. JECFA set an ADI of 0–20 mg/kg body weight: in animal studies, high doses increased relative liver weight, although without histological lesions.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect E481, E482, SSL, CSL and the common sodium or calcium stearoyl lactylate names.
- Explain their role in strengthening bread dough and keeping the crumb soft, and show the JECFA intake limit.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine how much E481 or E482 is present in a product from the ingredient list.
- Treat the increased relative liver weight seen at high experimental doses as evidence of liver injury from eating a product that contains these additives.