Calcium stearoyl lactylate

Calcium stearoyl lactylate is used in some bakery products and other foods to improve texture. EFSA assessed it together with the related sodium salt and established a combined acceptable daily intake of 22 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. This guidance includes an uncertainty allowance; exceeding it is not the same as showing harm. Older exposure models suggested possible exceedances, particularly in children, while a Belgian analysis using measured food concentrations found much lower estimates.

A 2026 study in male mice reported liver, colon and microbial changes after daily dosing for twelve weeks, with clearer tissue and inflammatory effects at the higher doses. Each dose group occupied a single cage, making the microbial findings difficult to separate from cage effects. Changes in barrier-related genes also do not directly measure a leaking intestine. Older animal studies and metabolism experiments provide some reassurance, but much of the longer-term evidence concerns the sodium salt.

Direct human evidence for calcium stearoyl lactylate remains sparse. The review considers uncertainty about exposure and newer intestinal findings without treating every emulsifier study as evidence against this particular ingredient.

Research reviewed on September 5, 2026 · 12 sources