Sodium salts of fatty acids

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Sodium salts of fatty acids are soaps formed by neutralising naturally occurring fatty acids (such as stearic, palmitic, oleic, myristic, and lauric acid) with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate; they are derived from animal fats or vegetable oils. They are used in food as emulsifiers, anti-caking agents, stabilisers, and binders, and appear in products such as baked goods, confectionery, and chewing gum.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Both EFSA (2018) and JECFA (1988, reaffirmed 1998) assigned a group ADI of 'not specified', concluding the substances present no safety concern at reported use levels. The salts dissociate in the gastrointestinal tract to normal dietary fatty acid carboxylates and sodium ions, which enter standard physiological processes. No mutagenicity or carcinogenicity concern was identified, and the additive contributes at most approximately 5% of the total daily saturated fatty acid intake from all dietary sources.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Permitted under Food Standards Code as INS 470; no numerical ADI established, consistent with JECFA 'not specified' designation.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Authorised as food additive E470a under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008; purity criteria defined in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012. EFSA ANS Panel 2018 re-evaluation confirmed ADI 'not specified' and no safety concern at reported uses. Applies to sodium, potassium, and calcium salts as a group (E470a); sodium salts specifically designated E470i in some labelling conventions.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Listed as INS 470(i) (sodium salts of fatty acids) in the FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations. Permitted as emulsifier/stabiliser; ADI 'not specified' following JECFA guidance.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Calcium salts of fatty acids are regulated under 21 CFR 172.863 as binder, emulsifier, and anti-caking agent at GMP levels. Individual sodium salts including sodium oleate and sodium palmitate are affirmed GRAS. Sodium stearate is listed as GRAS under 21 CFR 184.1229 as a multipurpose food substance.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Hypertension — As sodium-containing food additives, high cumulative intake from processed foods containing sodium salts of fatty acids could marginally contribute to total sodium load, warranting awareness for individuals on strict sodium-restricted diets, though additive quantities are typically very small.

Kidney Disease — Impaired renal clearance of sodium may make any incremental sodium contribution from food additives relevant; clinicians managing severe chronic kidney disease often recommend limiting all discretionary sodium sources.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. FDA Food Additive Status List – Calcium salts of fatty acids (21 CFR 172.863). cacmap.fda.gov
2EFSA. Re-evaluation of sodium, potassium and calcium salts of fatty acids (E 470a) and magnesium salts of fatty acids (E 470b) as food additives, 2018. efsa.europa.eu
3PubMed. Re-evaluation of sodium, potassium and calcium salts of fatty acids (E 470a) and magnesium salts of fatty acids (E 470b) as food additives, 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Re-evaluation of fatty acids (E 570) as a food additive, 2017. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5WHO. JECFA evaluation: Salts of Fatty Acids (calcium, potassium and sodium salts of oleic acid), 1998. apps.who.int

Independently researched5 citations