Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) refers to a naturally occurring class of
food additive composed of
diglycerides and
monoglycerides which is used as an
emulsifier. It is also used as a fruit coating agent. This mixture is also sometimes referred to as partial glycerides.
E471 is mainly produced from vegetable oils (such as soybean), although animal fats are sometimes used and cannot be completely excluded as being present in the product.[4] The fatty acids from each source are chemically identical.[5]The Vegan Society, which discourages eating animal-based foods, flags E471 as potentially animal based.[6]
Effects on health
A French study published in 2024 suggested that a higher intake of E471 increases the risk of cancer by 15%, particularly breast cancer (24%) and prostate cancer (46%).[7]
Other uses
In the late 2010s, the company
Apeel Sciences entered the market in parts of
South America, China, and Japan with monoacylglycerols as an alternative to
plastic films to prevent withering and conserving fruit and vegetables for transport and storage.[8][9]
^Sonntag, Norman O. V. (1982). "Glycerolysis of fats and methyl esters — Status, review and critique". Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 59 (10): 795A–802A.
doi:
10.1007/BF02634442.
ISSN0003-021X.
S2CID84808531.
^Clarke, Chris (2012). The Science of Ice Cream. Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 55.
ISBN9781849731270. Mono-/diglycerides are made by partially hydrolysing vegetable fats, such as soybean oil, and palm oil. (Animal-fat-based emulsifiers are not commonly used because they are not suitable for vegetarian and certain religious diets).
^"Which E-numbers and additives are from animal origin ?". Food-Info.net. Netherlands: Wageningen University. Retrieved 4 September 2015. Chemically the fatty acids from animal or plant origin are identical. Therefore the origin is of no importance for the function in the food. Producers thus normally choose the cheapest oils to make these fats. This is generally some vegetable oil. However, animal fats can not be excluded.
^"Vegan Catering For All"(PDF). The Vegan Society. p. 12.
Archived(PDF) from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.