Mono- and Diacetyltartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids

About

What it is and where it shows up.

E472e (DATEM) consists of mixed esters of glycerol with mono- and diacetyltartaric acids (derived from tartaric acid) and fatty acids occurring in food fats and oils. It is used primarily as an emulsifier and dough conditioner in bakery products to strengthen gluten networks, improve crumb structure, and increase bread volume.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

No adverse effects relevant for humans have been identified in the toxicological database reviewed by EFSA in 2020. The additive is assumed to be extensively hydrolysed in the gastrointestinal tract and/or pre-systemically into naturally occurring dietary constituents (glycerol, fatty acids, tartaric acid, acetic acid), all of which are normal metabolites. EFSA established a group ADI of 240 mg/kg body weight per day (expressed as tartaric acid) for E472d, e, and f, and found no safety concern at reported use levels across all population groups.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Authorised under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012. EFSA 2020 re-evaluation established a group ADI of 240 mg/kg bw/day expressed as tartaric acid for E472d, e, and f collectively. EFSA has since recommended replacing existing 'quantum satis' authorisations with numerical maximum use levels, and mandates that only L(+)-tartaric acid be used in manufacturing. Follow-up specifications opinion published 2025 (EFSA Journal pub/9602).source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Permitted as INS 472e under Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011; specific category-level maximum use levels follow Codex GSFA standards. Confirm current max levels against the latest FSSAI Compendium before product formulation.source
JECFA (JECFA (FAO/WHO))	Approved	JECFA confirmed ADI of 0–50 mg/kg bw in 1974 (reconfirmed by SCF in 1978). Listed in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) under INS 472e. The 2020 EFSA re-evaluation superseded this with a higher group ADI based on current data.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Listed as GRAS/FS (Generally Recognized as Safe / Food Standard) under 21 CFR Part 184.1101; permitted as an emulsifier in bakery products under 21 CFR Part 136.

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Other — Individuals with known hypersensitivity or intolerance to tartaric acid or its salts should be aware that E472e releases tartaric acid upon hydrolysis and contributes to cumulative tartaric acid intake alongside other permitted tartrate additives (E334–E337, E354).

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. FDA Food Additive Status List — Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides (DATEM), 21 CFR 184.1101. fda.gov
2WHO. JECFA Monograph: Diacetyltartaric and Fatty Acid Esters of Glycerol (INS 472e). fao.org
3EFSA. Scientific opinion as regards the specifications of the food additives acetic, lactic, tartaric, mono- and diacetyltartaric, mixed acetic and tartaric acids esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E 472a,b,d,e,f), 2025. efsa.europa.eu
4EFSA. Re-evaluation of acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, mono- and diacetyltartaric acid, mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E 472a-f) as food additives, 2020. efsa.europa.eu
5PubMed. Re-evaluation of acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, mono- and diacetyltartaric acid, mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E 472a-f) as food additives, 2020. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched6 citations