Polysorbate 60

Polysorbate 60 is an emulsifier made from sorbitol derivatives and fatty acids. Much of its water-loving portion passes through the gut without being absorbed. Large dietary amounts have caused diarrhea and other digestive effects in animals. Direct experiments also found increased bacterial passage across one cultured intestinal cell model, while another cell model showed no increase; concentrated solutions affected rat intestinal tissue.

These studies identify questions about the gut barrier, but do not establish that normal food use causes bowel disease. A small, old placebo-controlled human study found no consistent harmful effects after four weeks, but modern studies isolating polysorbate 60 are scarce. Recent cancer cohort research included too few consumers to estimate its individual association reliably. Regulators assess several polysorbates together.

JECFA reaffirmed a group acceptable daily intake of 25 milligrams per kilogram of body weight in 2026; Japan previously chose 10 using a different study. EFSA estimates ranged from below this higher limit to above it under assumptions about repeatedly choosing the same products. These estimates concern the combined group and are not measurements of harm. Food-category and purity limits apply, including EU controls on manufacturing residues.

Findings for polysorbate 80 or sorbitan monostearate cannot automatically be assigned to polysorbate 60.

Research reviewed on September 5, 2026 · 12 sources