Mono- and diglycerides

Mono- and diglycerides are one of the most common food additives in the US, used as emulsifiers to blend oil and water. Created from vegetable oils or animal fats, they improve the texture of processed foods, prevent separation, and extend shelf life . You can find them in a wide range of fast-food items, including bread, tortillas, ice cream, and margarine. For decades, global regulators have considered them safe because the body digests them like other fats . However, they can contain industrial trans fats, which are exempt from FDA labeling rules, and recent large-scale studies have linked high consumption to increased health risks.

Aliases / Common Names: E471, partial glycerides, monoacylglycerols, glycerolipids, GMS (glyceryl monostearate) Regulatory Status & Exposure: Mono- and diglycerides are classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. FDA under 21 CFR 184.1505, permitting their use without specific limits beyond Good Manufacturing Practices . This status is mirrored by international bodies; the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re-evaluated them in 2017 and found no safety concerns, establishing no numerical Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) . Similarly, the WHO’s Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) set an ADI of "not limited" in 1973, the least restrictive category . This long-standing consensus is based on the fact that these molecules are intermediates in normal fat digestion. However, their ubiquity in the food supply—comprising an estimated 70% of all emulsifiers used in the US—results in high, chronic population-wide exposure. Technical Evidence: The historical safety consensus is being challenged by two critical factors. First is a significant regulatory loophole concerning trans fats. While the FDA has effectively banned partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the main source of industrial trans fats (iTFA), this rule applies only to ingredients classified as lipids, not emulsifiers . Mono- and diglycerides are classified as emulsifiers and can contain iTFA as a manufacturing byproduct, yet they are exempt from the ban and labeling requirements. This allows for an unquantified and undisclosed source of iTFA—a substance with no safe level of consumption and a strong causal link to cardiovascular disease—to persist in the food supply . Second, new human evidence has emerged from the large French NutriNet-Santé cohort study. A 2023 analysis found that higher intakes of mono- and diglycerides (E471/E472) were associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease . A subsequent 2024 analysis from the same cohort linked higher E471 intake specifically with a greater risk of overall, breast, and prostate cancers . While these observational studies show correlation, not causation, they represent the most significant human evidence to date and directly question the additive's safety. Fast-Food Context: Mono- and diglycerides are crucial to the fast-food business model, enabling the consistency, stability, and long shelf life required for large-scale production and distribution. They are used in buns and tortillas to maintain softness and prevent staling, in milkshakes and soft-serve ice cream to create a smooth texture and prevent ice crystal formation, in processed meat patties to ensure even fat distribution and retain moisture, and in sauces and dressings to prevent separation . A typical fast-food meal can result in "stacked" exposure from the bun, patty, sauce, and dessert, leading to high cumulative intake. Sensitive Populations / Notes: The fatty acids used to produce mono- and diglycerides can be derived from either plant sources (e.g., soy, palm oil) or animal fats (e.g., pork, beef tallow). Product labels do not specify the origin, which is a concern for individuals following vegan, vegetarian, or religious dietary practices.

We assign the high tier using published research, regulatory guidance, and PRūF’s additive taxonomy. Restaurant usage is derived from public ingredient disclosures and mapped to menu items where this additive appears.