Sorbitan tristearate (E492)
- Food Caution
What is Sorbitan tristearate (E492)?
Sorbitan tristearate (E492) is an emulsifier used in chocolate and sweets to stop a white bloom forming. It has low toxicity and no proven harm at normal use. The caution is because experts saw a possible sign of chromosome damage in a closely related additive and set only a temporary safe limit while they gather more evidence.
What is Yasno’s verdict on Sorbitan tristearate?
Yasno’s verdict on Sorbitan tristearate: 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 Sorbitan tristearate allowed in the EU?
EU status of Sorbitan tristearate: 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 | Not recorded |
What else is it called?
- Sorbitan, trioctadecanoate
- 6LUM696811
- INS NO.492
- Anhydrosorbitol tristearate
- DTXSID8047054
Sources
- EU Food Additives Register — POL-FAD-IMPORT-3196, European Commission (DG SANTE), 2011
- Re-evaluation of sorbitan monostearate (E 491), sorbitan tristearate (E 492), sorbitan monolaurate (E 493), sorbitan monooleate (E 494) and sorbitan monopalmitate (E 495) when used as food additives, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 2017
- JECFA 102nd meeting summary and conclusions, Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 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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