Polyglycerol esters of interesterified ricinoleic acid

E number E476INS 476CAS 68936-89-0

Used as an emulsifier.

Known as PGPR, this emulsifier is used almost entirely in chocolate, where it lowers viscosity and lets manufacturers use less cocoa butter. It is what allows thin chocolate shells and moulded shapes.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Polyglycerol esters of interesterified ricinoleic acid by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationNot listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited.
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

23 food categories

highest permitted level 10,000 mg/kg

Show every food category
  • 01.5.2 Milk and cream powder analogues — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 01.6.4 Processed cheese — 500 mg/kg
  • 01.7 Dairy-based desserts (e.g. pudding, fruit or flavoured yoghurt) — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 02.2.2 Fat spreads, dairy fat spreads and blended spreads — 4,000 mg/kg
  • 02.3 Fat emulsions mainly of type oil-in-water, including mixed and/or flavoured products based on fat emulsions — 10,000 mg/kg
  • 02.4 Fat-based desserts excluding dairy-based dessert products of food category 01.7 — 2,000 mg/kg
  • 03.0 Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.11 Fruit fillings for pastries — 2,000 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.9 Fruit-based desserts, incl. fruit-flavoured water-based desserts — 2,000 mg/kg
  • 05.1.1 Cocoa mixes (powders) and cocoa mass/cake — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 05.1.4 Cocoa and chocolate products — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 05.1.5 Imitation chocolate, chocolate substitute products — 3,000 mg/kg
  • 05.2 Confectionery including hard and soft candy, nougats, etc. other than food categories 05.1, 05.3, and 05.4 — 3,000 mg/kg
  • 05.3 Chewing gum — 500 mg/kg
  • 05.4 Decorations (e.g. for fine bakery wares), toppings (non-fruit), and sweet sauces — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 06.4.3 Pre-cooked pastas and noodles and like products — 500 mg/kg
  • 06.5 Cereal and starch based desserts (e.g. rice pudding, tapioca pudding) — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 08.4 Edible casings (e.g. sausage casings) — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 09.2.4.1 Cooked fish and fish products — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 10.2 Egg products — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 10.4 Egg-based desserts (e.g. custard) — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 12.6.1 Emulsified sauces and dips (e.g. mayonnaise, salad dressing, onion dips) — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 12.6.3 Mixes for sauces and gravies — 5,000 mg/kg
CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 476and 22 further provisionsretrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Made from polyglycerol and ricinoleic acid, the principal fatty acid of castor oil. Because the fatty acid comes specifically from castor beans rather than a general fat blend, PGPR is one of the few emulsifiers in this family with a reliably plant source.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
68936-89-0

Every name it appears under

8 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

E number

  • E476

INS number

  • 476

CAS registry number

  • 68936-89-0

Other names

  • 1,2,3-Propanetriol, homopolymer, (9Z,12R)-12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoate
  • E 476
  • POLYGLYCEROL ESTERS OF INTERESTERIFIED RICINOLEIC ACID
  • Polyglycerol polyricinoleate

Systematic names

  • (Z)-12-hydroxyoctadec-9-enoic acid;propane-1,2,3-triol

Hazard reference values

Values set by assessing bodies. A body that has not set a value is not listed here.
TypeValuePopulationAssessed byOpinion
ADI25 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSAnot identified in the dataset

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

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