Glycerol (E422)
- Food Caution
What is Glycerol (E422)?
Glycerol (E422) is a sweet, syrupy liquid that keeps foods moist and stops slush drinks from freezing solid. In ordinary foods it isn't a concern. The caution is for slush ice drinks: young children who drink them quickly can get headaches, nausea or vomiting, so they're not advised for small children.
What is Yasno’s verdict on Glycerol?
Yasno’s verdict on Glycerol: Caution. Some evidence of a concern, it depends on the amount, or it is genuinely worth knowing. A Caution always has a specific, sourced reason.
Is Glycerol allowed in the EU?
EU status of Glycerol: Permitted as a food additive. Conditions and limits come from the regulation cited below. Yasno summarises them and does not replace the legal text.
| Where | EU | US |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Permitted as a food additive | Regulated as a food additive by the US FDA |
What else is it called?
- glycerin
- Glycerine
- 1,2,3-Propanetriol
Sources
- EU Food Additives Register — POL-FAD-IMPORT-3146, European Commission (DG SANTE), 2011
- EFSA’s 2017 re-evaluation of glycerol (E 422), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 2017
- EFSA assessment establishing an acute reference dose for glycerol, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 2026
Always check the physical label. Yasno describes evidence and regulatory status. It never says a product is free of an allergen or safe for you, and it is not medical advice.
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