Mono- and diglycerides
Mono- and diglycerides are emulsifiers that help fats and water stay mixed in processed foods. They are common in baked goods, frozen desserts, breads, sauces, and shelf-stable packaged foods.
The main user question is usually not whether they are common, but where they come from. They can be made from plant oils or animal fats, which matters for people who care about sourcing, dietary rules, or ultra-processed food exposure.
- Concern
- Low / Limited Concern
- Function
- Emulsifier
- Updated
- 2026-03-18
What this is
Mono- and diglycerides are emulsifiers comprising a mixture of glycerol mono- and di-esters of fatty acids, with minor tri-esters. They are usually manufactured by reacting vegetable oils or fats (or their fatty acids) with glycerol, then purifying to obtain ≥90% glycerides. The final product ranges from a pale oily liquid to a waxy solid (flaked or powdered) depending on fatty acid composition. Mono- and diglycerides may be derived from plant oils (e.g. soybean, palm) or animal fats (e.g. tallow); commercially, vegetable sources predominate. The glycerides are lipid-based and are metabolized in the body into fatty acids and glycerol, just like regular fats.
Critical Endpoints
The key endpoints experts review in safety assessments (critical endpoints). This is not a prediction of harm.
Restaurant Usage
8 linked ingredient reports
State Actions
0 current actions
No current state action is listed for this ingredient in the policy tracker.
Sources
2 visible sources