E492Emulsifier · Stabiliser
Sorbitan tristearate
What the research shows
Not enough
published research on this page yet
A waxy substance used in food.
It helps mix ingredients together and keep them steady.1
- May not be vegan
- May not be vegetarian
- EU permitted
What research says
How it’s made and used
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Daily intake limits2
Scientists set a daily intake limit for sorbitan tristearate, and usual amounts eaten stayed below it.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
What expert reviews concluded
Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.
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UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 2026
Acceptable daily intake: up to 25 mg per kg of body weight, shared with related additives, set temporarily.
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
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Canada Permitted Health Canada · Emulsifying Gelling Stabilizing Thickening Agents
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating. A country appears here once we've found this ingredient on its official list.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 580 products on Open Food Facts that list sorbitan tristearate.
- Maltesers Mars · 175 g 5 additives
- belVita BREAKFAST Cocoa with choc chips belVita · 225 g 6 additives
- macaroons Mrs Crimbles · 195 g 2 additives
- Maltesers Mars Wrigley · 93 g 6 additives
- Oreo Sjokoladetrukket 246 g Mondelez Norge AS · 246 g 4 additives
- maltesers Maltesers 6 additives
References
- 1Sorbitan tristearate. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Mortensen A, Aguilar F, Crebelli R, et al. Re-evaluation of sorbitan monostearate (E 491), sorbitan tristearate (E 492), sorbitan monolaurate (E 493), sorbitan monooleate (E 494) and sorbitan monopalmitate (E 495) when used as food additives. EFSA J. 2017;15(5):e04788. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4788