Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids

E number E477INS 477

Listed as an emulsifier by Codex.

Listed as emulsifiers (Codex)

These emulsifiers are built on propylene glycol rather than glycerol and are used chiefly in cake mixes and whipped toppings, where they help incorporate air.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
Australia and New ZealandFood Standards Australia New ZealandPermitted, with conditions

55 food categories

highest permitted level 4,000 mg/kg

Show every food category
  • 0 Preparations of food additives — GMP
  • 1.1.1 Liquid milk (including buttermilk) — GMPOnly UHT goats milk.
  • 1.1.2 Liquid milk products and flavoured liquid milk — GMP
  • 1.2.2 Fermented milk products and rennetted milk products — GMP
  • 1.3 Condensed milk and evaporated milk — GMP
  • 1.4.1 Cream, reduced cream and light cream — GMPOnly UHT creams and creams receiving equivalent or greater heat treatments.
  • 1.4.2 Cream products (flavoured, whipped, thickened, sour cream etc) — GMP
  • 1.5 Dried milk, milk powder, cream powder — GMP
  • 1.6 Cheese and cheese products — GMP
  • 10.2 Liquid egg products — GMP
  • 10.3 Frozen egg products — GMP
  • 10.4 Dried or heat coagulated egg products — GMP
  • 11.1.1 Rainbow sugar — GMP
  • 11.3.1 Dried honey — GMP
  • 11.4 Tabletop sweeteners — GMP
  • 12.1.2 Reduced sodium salt mixture — GMP
  • 12.1.3 Salt substitute — GMP
  • 12.5 Yeast and yeast products — GMP
  • 12.6 Vegetable protein products — GMP
  • 13.3 Formulated meal replacements and formulated supplementary foods — GMP
  • 13.4 Formulated supplementary sports foods — GMP
  • 13.5 Food for special medical purposes — GMP
  • 14.1.1.2 Carbonated, mineralised and soda waters — GMP
  • 14.1.2.1 Fruit and vegetable juices — GMPFor juice separated by other than mechanical means only.
  • 14.1.2.2 Fruit and vegetable juice products — GMP
  • 14.1.3 Water based flavoured drinks — GMP
  • 14.1.4 Formulated Beverages — GMP
  • 14.1.5 Coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, herbal infusions and similar products — GMP
  • 14.2.3 Wine based drinks and reduced alcohol wines — GMP
  • 14.2.4.1 Fruit wine products and vegetable wine products — GMP
  • 14.2.5 Spirits and liqueurs — GMP
  • 14.3 Alcoholic beverages not included in item 14.2 — GMP
  • 2.1 Edible oils essentially free of water — GMP
  • 2.2.1.2 Butter products — GMP
  • 2.2.1.3 Margarine and similar products — GMP
  • 2.2.2 Oil emulsions (<80% oil) — GMP
  • 20 Foods not included in items 0 to 14 — GMP
  • 3 Ice cream and edible ices — GMP
  • 4.1.3 Fruits and vegetables that are peeled, cut, or both peeled and cut — GMP
  • 4.3 Processed fruits and vegetables — GMP
  • 5.1 Chocolate and cocoa products — GMP
  • 5.1 Chocolate and cocoa products — 4,000 mg/kg
  • 5.2 Sugar confectionery — GMP
  • 5.4 Icings and frostings — GMP
  • 6.3 Processed cereal and meal products — GMP
  • 6.4 Flour products (including noodles and pasta) — GMP
  • 7 Breads and bakery products — GMP
  • 8.2 Processed meat, poultry and game products in whole cuts or pieces — GMP
  • 8.3 Processed comminuted meat, poultry and game products, other than products listed in item 8.3.2 — GMP
  • 8.3.2 Sausage and sausage meat containing raw, unprocessed meat — GMP
  • 8.4 Edible casings — GMP
  • 8.5 Animal protein products — GMP
  • 9.2 Processed fish and fish products — GMP
  • 9.3 Semi preserved fish and fish products — GMP
  • 9.4 Fully preserved fish including canned fish products — GMP
Food Standards Code, Schedule 15, S15—5and 54 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-17
CanadaHealth CanadaNo listing matchedHealth Canada’s lists name additives without E or INS numbers, so this site matches them by exact name. A substance listed there under a name this site does not recognise has no row here.
European UnionEuropean Commission / EFSAPermitted, with conditions

12 food categories

highest permitted level 10,000 mg/l

Show every food category
  • 1.4 flavoured fermented milk products including heat-treated products — 5,000 mg/lML = 5000 mg/l.
  • 1.8 Dairy analogues, including beverage whiteners — 1,000 mg/kgML = 1000 mg/kg. only beverage whiteners.
  • 13.2 Foods for special medical purposes as defined by Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 (excluding products from food category 13.1.5.) — 1,000 mg/kgML = 1000 mg/kg.
  • 13.3 Total diet replacement for weight control food as defined by Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 — 1,000 mg/kgML = 1000 mg/kg.
  • 16 Desserts excluding products covered in category 1 3 and 4 — 5,000 mg/kgML = 5000 mg/kg.
  • 18.2 Meal replacement for weight control as referred to in Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 — 1,000 mg/kgML = 1000 mg/kg.
  • 2.2.2 Other fat and oil emulsions including spreads as defined by Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 and liquid emulsions — 10,000 mg/kgML = 10000 mg/kg. only fat emulsions for baking purposes.
  • 3 edible ices — 3,000 mg/kgML = 3000 mg/kg.
  • 5.2 Other confectionery including breath freshening micro-sweets — 5,000 mg/kgML = 5000 mg/kg. only sugar confectionery.
  • 5.3 chewing gum — 5,000 mg/kgML = 5000 mg/kg.
  • 5.4 Decorations, coatings and fillings, except fruit-based fillings covered by category 4.2.4 — 5,000 mg/kgML = 5000 mg/kg.
  • 7.2 Fine bakery wares — 5,000 mg/kgML = 5000 mg/kg.
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008and 11 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-18
Great BritainFood Standards Agency / Food Standards ScotlandPermitted, with conditions

11 food categories

highest permitted level 10,000 mg/kg or mg/l

Show every food category
  • 1.4 Flavoured fermented milk products including heat-treated products — 5,000 mg/kg or mg/lML = 5000.
  • 1.8 Dairy analogues, including beverage whiteners — several limits(1) ML 1000: only beverage whiteners; (2) ML 5000: only milk and cream analogues.
  • 13.2 Dietary foods for special medical purposes defined in Directive 1999/21/EC (excluding products from food category 13.1.5) — 1,000 mg/kg or mg/lML = 1000.
  • 13.3 Dietary foods for weight control diets intended to replace total daily food intake or an individual meal (the whole or part of the total daily diet) — 1,000 mg/kg or mg/lML = 1000.
  • 16 Desserts excluding products covered in categories 1, 3 and 4 — 5,000 mg/kg or mg/lML = 5000.
  • 2.2.2 Other fat and oil emulsions including spreads as defined by Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 and liquid emulsions — 10,000 mg/kg or mg/lML = 10000. only fat emulsions for baking purposes.
  • 3 Edible ices — 3,000 mg/kg or mg/lML = 3000.
  • 5.2 Other confectionery including breath refreshening microsweets — 5,000 mg/kg or mg/lML = 5000. only sugar confectionery.
  • 5.3 Chewing gum — 5,000 mg/kg or mg/lML = 5000.
  • 5.4 Decorations, coatings and fillings, except fruit based fillings covered by category 4.2.4 — several limits(1) ML 5000: no further restriction; (2) ML 30000: only whipped dessert toppings other than cream.
  • 7.2 Fine bakery wares — 5,000 mg/kg or mg/lML = 5000.
Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008and 10 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-18
JapanConsumer Affairs AgencyPermitted, with conditions
Designated additive: Appended Table 1, item 378, プロピレングリコール脂肪酸エステル (“Propylene Glycol Esters of Fatty Acids” in the unofficial English translation). …

Designated additive: Appended Table 1, item 378, プロピレングリコール脂肪酸エステル (“Propylene Glycol Esters of Fatty Acids” in the unofficial English translation). Standards for use — Specifications and Standards for Foods, Food Additives, etc. (MHW Notification No. 370 of 1959), Part II (Food Additives), F (Standards for use): The Notification sets no standard for use (使用基準) for this additive, so it is not restricted there to particular foods or amounts. Compositional specifications for this additive, in the same Notification, are not imported and are not shown here; nor are the general rules in F 添加物一般, which apply to every additive.

Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act (MHW Ordinance No. 23 of 1948), Appended Table 1retrieved 2026-10-18
South KoreaMinistry of Food and Drug SafetyPermitted, with conditions
Designated food additive: Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, Part III, 1. …

Designated food additive: Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, Part III, 1. 일반식품첨가물 (general food additives), 프로필렌글리콜지방산에스테르 (“Propylene Glycol Esters of Fatty Acids”, the English the Code prints beside it). Main use (주용도) of 프로필렌글리콜지방산에스테르: 유화제. Standard for use (사용기준) of 프로필렌글리콜지방산에스테르: (1) [to be used under the general standard for use in II. 2. 1), the minimum amount that achieves the technical effect, with no limit set for this additive in particular] “II. 2. 1)의 규정에 따라 사용하여야 한다.” The Korean is the standard as published. There is no official English translation of the current Code (the English version on MFDS’s website is the 2020 edition and has no legal effect); the English in square brackets is this site’s description of what each sentence does, not a translation of the foods or the levels. Compositional specifications (Part IV) are not imported, nor are the general standards in Part II, which apply to every additive.

Standards and Specifications for Food Additives (식품첨가물의 기준 및 규격), MFDS Notification, Part III (Standards for use, by item)retrieved 2026-10-18
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

28 food categories

highest permitted level 40,000 mg/kg

Show every food category and its notes
  • 01.1.4 Flavoured Fluid Milk Drinks — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 01.3.2 Beverage whiteners — 1,000 mg/kg
    • Note XS250 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for a Blend of Evaporated Skimmed Milk and Vegetable Fat (CODEX STAN 250-2006).
    • Note XS252 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for a Blend of Sweetened Condensed Skimmed Milk and Vegetable Fat (CODEX STAN 252-2006).
  • 01.4.4 Cream analogues — 5,000 mg/kg
    • Note 86 For use in whipped dessert toppings other than cream only.
  • 01.5.2 Milk and cream powder analogues
    • Note XS251 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for a Blend of Skimmed Milk and Vegetable Fat in Powdered Form (CODEX STAN 251-2006).
  • 01.7 Dairy-based desserts (e.g. pudding, fruit or flavoured yoghurt) — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 02.1.2 Vegetable oils and fats — 10,000 mg/kg
    • Note XS19 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Edible Fats and Oils not covered by Individual Standards (CXS 19-1981).
    • Note XS33 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils (CODEX STAN 33-1981).
    • Note XS210 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (CXS 210-1999).
    • Note XS325R Excluding products conforming to the Regional Standard for Unrefined Shea Butter (CXS 325R-2017).
  • 02.1.3 Lard, tallow, fish oil, and other animal fats — 10,000 mg/kg
    • Note XS19 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Edible Fats and Oils not covered by Individual Standards (CXS 19-1981).
    • Note XS211 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Named Animal Fat (CODEX STAN 211-1999).
  • 02.2.2 Fat spreads, dairy fat spreads and blended spreads — 20,000 mg/kg
    • Note XS253 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Dairy Fat Spreads (CXS 253-2006).
  • 02.3 Fat emulsions mainly of type oil-in-water, including mixed and/or flavoured products based on fat emulsions — 30,000 mg/kg
  • 02.4 Fat-based desserts excluding dairy-based dessert products of food category 01.7 — 40,000 mg/kg
  • 03.0 Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.11 Fruit fillings for pastries — 40,000 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.8 Fruit preparations, including pulp, purees, fruit toppings and coconut milk — 40,000 mg/kg
    • Note XS314R Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Date Paste (CODEX STAN 314R-2013).
  • 04.1.2.9 Fruit-based desserts, incl. fruit-flavoured water-based desserts — 40,000 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.6 Vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed pulps and preparations (e.g. vegetable desserts and sauces, candied vegetables) other than food category 04.2.2.5 — 5,000 mg/kg
    • Note XS57 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Processed Tomato Concentrates (CODEX STAN 57-1981).
    • Note XS259R Excluding products conforming to the Codex Regional Standard for Tehena (CODEX STAN 259R-2007).
    • Note XS308R Excluding products conforming to the Regional Standard for Harissa (Red Hot Pepper Paste) (CXS 308R-2011).
  • 05.1.1 Cocoa mixes (powders) and cocoa mass/cake — 5,000 mg/kg
    • Note 97 On the final cocoa and chocolate product basis.
    • Note XS141 Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Cocoa (Cacao) Mass (Cocoa/chocolate liquor) and Cocoa Cake (CODEX STAN 141-1983).
  • 05.2 Confectionery including hard and soft candy, nougats, etc. other than food categories 05.1, 05.3, and 05.4 — 5,000 mg/kg
    • Note XS309R Excluding products conforming to the Codex Regional Standard for Halawa Tehenia (CODEX STAN 309R-211).
  • 05.3 Chewing gum — 20,000 mg/kg
  • 05.4 Decorations (e.g. for fine bakery wares), toppings (non-fruit), and sweet sauces — 40,000 mg/kg
  • 06.4.3 Pre-cooked pastas and noodles and like products — 5,000 mg/kg
    • Note 2 On the dry ingredient, dry weight, dry mix or concentrate basis.
    • Note 153 For use in instant noodles only.
    • Note XS364R Excluding use in products conforming to the Regional standard for quick-frozen dumplings (CXS 364R-2026).
  • 06.5 Cereal and starch based desserts (e.g. rice pudding, tapioca pudding) — 40,000 mg/kg
  • 07.0 Bakery wares — 15,000 mg/kg
    • Note 11 On the flour basis.
    • Note 72 On the ready-to-eat basis.
  • 10.4 Egg-based desserts (e.g. custard) — 40,000 mg/kg
  • 11.4 Other sugars and syrups (e.g. xylose, maple syrup, sugar toppings) — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 12.6.2 Non-emulsified sauces (e.g. ketchup, cheese sauce, cream sauce, brown gravy) — 20,000 mg/kg
    • Note 576 For use only in products conforming to the Standard for Chili Sauce (CXS 306-2011).
  • 13.3 Dietetic foods intended for special medical purposes (excluding products of food category 13.1) — 5,000 mg/kg
    • Note 566 Excluding products conforming to the Guidelines for Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (CXG 95-2022).
  • 13.4 Dietetic formulae for slimming purposes and weight reduction — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 14.1.4 Water-based flavoured drinks, including "sport," “energy,” or "electrolyte" drinks and particulated drinks — 500 mg/kg
CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 477and 27 further provisionsretrieved 2026-09-07

How much is permitted

A listing usually limits the quantity as well as the food. Only one of the forms that takes is a figure: quantum satis and good manufacturing practice permit the amount the technological effect requires and no more, which is a limit rather than the absence of one. Figures below are the range across every food category this page is listed in, and categories differ between regulators — see how much is permitted.

Australia and New Zealand4,000 mg/kg1 numeric limit, 54 GMP
European Union1,000 mg/kg – 10,000 mg/kg12 numeric limit
Great Britain1,000 mg/kg – 10,000 mg/kg9 numeric limit, 2 several limits
Japan—1 no quantity stated
South Korea—1 no quantity stated
Codex Alimentarius500 mg/kg – 40,000 mg/kg27 numeric limit, 1 no quantity stated

What it is made from

Made by esterifying propylene glycol with fatty acids. The propylene glycol is petroleum-derived; the fatty acids may be plant or animal.

  • Vegan status depends on the source
  • Vegetarian status depends on the source
  • May raise a halal question
  • May raise a kosher question

This is not an omission. What this additive is made from is not fixed — depending on the manufacturer it may be plant, animal or microbial in origin, nobody is required to say which, and the same product can change source between production runs. Ask the manufacturer if it matters to you; a label cannot answer it.

Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.

Allergen labelling

  • Annex II exception for mustard. The fatty acids may include behenic acid, which can come from mustard seed oil. Annex II item 10 names behenic acid of at least 85% purity, obtained after two distillation steps and used to make E 477, as an exception.

The EU’s list of allergens an ingredients list must emphasise is Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II (consolidated text of 1 April 2025). Whether a product must declare one depends on what its additive was actually made from, which the label may not show; see the allergen origin index.

The two specifications, compared

The European Union sets identity and purity by regulation; JECFA publishes its own through FAO, advisory until a country adopts it. Both documents are below in full. These are the parameters each puts a number on.

ParameterEuropean UnionJECFA
Assayno less than 85 %no less than 85 %
Sulphated ashno more than 0.5 %no more than 0.5 %
Leadno more than 2 mg/kgno more than 2 mg/kg
Arsenicno more than 3 mg/kg—
Mercuryno more than 1 mg/kg—
Cadmiumno more than 1 mg/kg—

The two documents state the same figures for every parameter compared here.

How the EU defines it

The legal specification an additive must meet to be sold as this E number in the EU — what it is, how it may be made, and the purity it must reach. From Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.

E 477 Propane-1,2-diol esters of fatty acids

Consists of mixtures of propane-1,2-diol mono- and diesters of fatty acids occurring in food fats and oils. The alcohol moiety is exclusively propane-1,2-diol together with dimer and traces of trimer. Organic acids other than food fatty acids are absent

Synonyms: Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids

Assay, identification and purity criteria

Description and assay

Assay
Content of total fatty acid ester not less than 85 %
Description
Clear liquids or waxy white flakes, beads or solids having a bland odour

Identification

Test for propylene glycol
Passes test
Test for fatty acids
Passes test

Purity criteria

Sulphated ash
Not more than 0,5 % (800 ± 25 °C)
Acids other than fatty acids
Less than 1 %
Free fatty acids
Not more than 6 % estimated as oleic acid
Total propane-1,2-diol
Not less than 11 % and not more than 31 %
Free propane-1,2-diol
Not more than 5 %
Dimer and trimer of propylene glycol
Not more than 0,5 %
Arsenic
Not more than 3 mg/kg
Lead
Not more than 2 mg/kg
Mercury
Not more than 1 mg/kg
Cadmium
Not more than 1 mg/kg

Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012, Annex, E 477

How JECFA defines it

The international specification for identity and purity, prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and published by FAO. It is a different document from any above, written by a different body and revised on its own cycle; it is advisory, and a country adopts it or does not.

INS 477 Propylene Glycol Esters of Fatty Acids

Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids are mixtures of propylene glycol mono- and diesters of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids derived from edible oils and fats. The products are produced either by direct esterification of propylene glycol with fatty acids or by transesterification of propylene glycol with oils or fats. When prepared by transesterification, the product may contain residual mono- and diglycerides and glycerol. The process may be followed by molecular distillation to separate the monoesters.

Synonyms: Propane-1,2-diol esters of fatty acids, INS No. 477 Propane-1,2-diol esters of fatty acids

Assay, identification and purity criteria

Description and assay

Specification history
Prepared at the 49th JECFA (1997) , published in FNP 52 Add 5 (1997) superseding specifications prepared at the 46th JECFA (1996), published in FNP 52 Add 4 (1996). Metals and arsenic specifications revised at the 55th JECFA (2000). An ADI of 0-25 mg/kg bw was established at the 17th JECFA (1973)
Structural formula
where R 1 and R 2 represent one fatty acid moiety and hydrogen in the case of mono-esters and two fatty acid moieties in the case of di-esters
Assay
Not less than 85% total fatty acid esters
DESCRIPTION
White or cream coloured solids of waxy appearance, plastic products or viscous liquids
FUNCTIONAL USES
Emulsifier
METHOD OF ASSAY
Determine by gas chromatography using the following: Gas chromatograph, with split injection or on-column injection, oven temperature programming and flame ionisation detector. For split injection an injection port with programmable temperature is preferable. For on-column injection, the reaction mixture is diluted 1:50 with pyridine prior to injection. Column: Fused silica capillary column, surface fully deactivated by silylation agent, 12-25 m, 0.25-0.35 mm i.d., coating 95% methyl- 5% phenyl silicone (or other phase with similar polarity), film thickness 0.1-0.2 μm. Injection: Volume 1-5μl: split injection (Split ratio 1:10-1:50); direct injection (hold for 1 min) Temperatures: Injection port 320º (or 60º for on-column injection); column initial 50º (or 60º for on-column injection); programme rate 10º/ min; final temperature 350º, hold 1 min; detector 400º; carrier gas flow 2-5 ml He/ min (at 80º) N.B. The precise temperature conditions will be dependent on the details of the equipment used. Reagents: N,N - bis(trimethylsilyl)fluoroacetamide (BSTFA) Trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) Pyridine, analytical grade, kept over KOH n-Heptadecane, analytical grade, 99% minimum Reference materials: Propylene glycol, propylene glycol monostearate. Internal standard solution: Accurately weigh approximately 100 mg internal standard, n-heptadecane into a 100-ml volumetric flask, dilute with pyridine to the mark. Reference solution: Accurately weigh approximately 100 mg propylene glycol monostearate into a 25-ml volumetric flask adding internal standard solution to the mark. When pure reference material of other components such as propylene glycol and di-fatty acid esters of propylene glycol are available, the method is suitable for these also. Procedure: Accurately weigh approximately 100 mg of the homogenised sample into a 25-ml volumetric flask and dilute to volume with the internal standard solution. Transfer 0.8 ml of the sample solution to a 2.5-ml screw cap vial with Teflon faced septa or 2.0-ml vial for auto sampler. Add 0.3 ml BSTFA and 0.1 ml TMCS. Close the vial and shake vigorously. Heat the reaction mixture in a heating device at 70º for approximately 20 min, inject 1 to 5 μl of the reaction mixture into the gas chromatograph showing a stable baseline. Do not delay GC analysis. Repeat the reaction with a further 100 mg sample. Make two injections per reaction sample. Transfer 0.8 ml of reference solution to a vial and add the silylating agents, 0.3 ml BSTFA and 0.1 ml TMCS . Heat the reaction mixture and inject into the gas chromatograph as described above. Identification: Analyse reference solution using the same operating conditions as for the sample solution. Identify peaks by comparison of retention time with known substances or apply coupled GC/MS. Calculation and expression of results: Calculate response factor R x of the reference substance X vs. internal standard using the reference solution chromatogram. The value of the response factor is given by the formula: R x = (m is /m x ) x (A x /A is ) where: m is = mass of internal standard in mg m x = mass of reference substance X in mg A x = peak area of reference substance X A is = peak area of internal standard Calculate percentage of mass content m’ x of component X in the sample by the formula: m’ x = 1/R x x (m’ is /m’ s ) x (A’ x / A’ is )% where: m’ is = mass of internal standard in sample in mg m’ s = mass of sample in mg A’ x = peak area of component X in the sample A’ is = peak area of internal standard in sample When calculating the total content of propylene glycol monoesters in the sample the response factor of propylene monostearate is used for all propylene glycol monoesters in the sample. The FID response of propylene glycol monostearate does not differ significantly from that of other fatty acid monoesters of propylene glycol.

Identification

Solubility (Vol. 4)
Insoluble in water, soluble in ethanol and ethyl acetate
Positive test for fatty acids (Vol. 4)
Passes test
Positive test for propylene glycol (Vol. 4)
Passes test Glycerol may also be detectable by TLC

Purity criteria

Sulfated ash (Vol. 4)
Not more than 0.5% Test 5 g of the sample (Method I, if the sample is solid; Method II, if liquid)
Acid value (Vol. 4)
Not more than 4
Acids (Vol. 4)
Acids other than fatty acids shall not be detectable
Dimer and trimer of propylene glycol
Not more than 0.5%
Soap
Not more than 7% (as potassium stearate) See description under TESTS
Free propylene glycol
Not more than 1.5% (soap free) See description under TESTS
Total propylene glycol
Not less than 11% (soap free) See description under TESTS
Lead (Vol. 4)
Not more than 2 mg/kg Determine using an atomic absorption technique appropriate to the specified level. The selection of sample size and method of sample preparation may be based on the principles of the method described in Volume 4, “Instrumental Methods.”
Test: Soap
Prepare a solvent mixture consisting of equal parts, by volume, of toluene and methanol, add bromophenol blue TS, and neutralize with 0.5N hydrochloric acid, or use neutralized acetone as the solvent. Weigh accurately about 5 g of the sample, dissolve it in 100 ml of the neutralized solvent mixture, and titrate with 0.5N hydrochloric acid to a definite yellow endpoint. Calculate the percentage of soap in the sample by the formula: where V and N are the volume and normality, respectively, of the hydrochloric acid, W is the weight of the sample, in g, and e is the equivalence factor, e = 31.0.
Test: Free propylene glycol
Reagents and Solutions: Periodic Acid solution: Dissolve 5.4 g of periodic acid, H 5 IO 6 in 100 ml of water, add 1900 ml of glacial acetic acid, and mix. Store in a light-resistant, glass-stoppered bottle or in a clear, glass-stoppered bottle protected from light. Chloroform: Use chloroform meeting the following test: To each of three 500-ml flasks add 50.0 ml of Periodic Acid Solution, then add 50 ml of chloroform and 10 ml of water to two of the flasks and 50 ml of water to the third. To each flask add 20 ml of potassium iodide TS, mix gently, and allow to stand at least 1 min, but no longer than 5 min, before titrating. Add 100 ml of water, and titrate with 0.1N sodium thiosulfate, using a magnetic stirrer to keep the solution thoroughly mixed, to the disappearance of the brown iodine colour, then add 2 ml of starch TS and continue the titration to the disappearance of the blue colour. The difference between the volume of 0.1N sodium thiosulfate required in the titrations with and without the chloroform is not greater than 0.5 ml. Procedure: Melt the sample, if not liquid, at a temperature not higher than 100º above its melting point, and mix thoroughly. Transfer an accurately weighed portion of the sample, equivalent to about 30 mg of propylene glycol into a 100 ml beaker, and dissolve in 25 ml of chloroform. Transfer the solution with the aid of an additional 25 ml of chloroform, into a separator, wash the beaker with 25 ml of water, and add the washing to the separator. Stopper the separator tightly, shake vigorously for 30 to 60 sec, and allow the layers to separate. (Add 1 to 2 ml of glacial acetic acid to break emulsions formed due to the presence of soap.) Collect the aqueous layer in a 500-ml glass-stoppered Erlenmeyer flask, and extract the chloroform solution again using two 25-ml portions of water. To the combined aqueous extracts add 50.0 ml of Periodic Acid Solution. Run two blanks by adding 50.0 ml of this reagent solution to two 500 ml glass-stoppered Erlenmeyer flasks, each containing 75 ml of water and allow to stand for at least 30 min, but no longer than 90 min. To each flask, add 20 ml of potassium iodide TS, and allow to stand at least 1 min, but no longer than 5 min, before titrating. Add 100 ml of water, and titrate with 0.1N sodium thiosulfate, using a magnetic stirrer to keep the solution thoroughly mixed, to the disappearance of the brown iodine colour, then add 2 ml of starch TS and continue the titration to the disappearance of the blue colour. Calculation: Calculate the percentage of free propylene glycol by the formula: where "b" is the number of ml of sodium thiosulfate consumed in the blank determination; "S" is the number of ml required in the titration of the aqueous extracts from the sample; "N" is the exact normality of the sodium thiosulfate; "W" is the weight, in g, of the original sample taken and 3.81 is the molecular weight of propylene glycol divided by 20. Note: If the aqueous extract contains more than 30 mg of propylene glycol, dilute the extract in a volumetric flask and transfer a suitable aliquot into a 500 ml glass-stoppered Erlenmeyer flask before proceeding with the test. The weight of the sample should be corrected in the calculation.
Test: Total propylene glycol and glycerol
Sample preparation Transfer about 15 g of sample, accurately weighed, into a 500-ml flask, add 250 ml of ethanol and 7.5 g of potassium hydroxide and mix. Reflux the solution for 2 h, transfer into an 800-ml beaker rinsing the flask with about 100 ml of water and adding the rinse water to the beaker. Heat on a steam or water bath, adding water occasionally to replace the ethanol and evaporate until the odour of ethanol can no longer be detected. Adjust the volume to about 250 ml with hot water, neutralize with diluted sulfuric acid (1 in 2), add a slight excess of acid, heat with gentle stirring until the fatty acid layer separates. Transfer the fatty acids into a warm 500-ml separatory funnel, wash with four 20-ml portions of hot water and combine the washings with the original aqueous layer from the saponification. Extract the combined aqueous layer with three 20 ml portions of petroleum ether. Neutralize the aqueous layer with sodium hydroxide TS to pH 7. Transfer the solution to a 500-ml volumetric flask and dilute to the mark with water. Determination of apparent propylene glycol Pipette 5.0 ml of the solution into a 125 ml Erlenmeyer flask, add 5.0 ml of 1M periodic acid, swirl and let stand 15 min. Add 10 ml of a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate, followed by 15.0 ml of 0.1N sodium arsenite and 1 ml of potassium iodide solution (1 in 20) and mix. Add enough sodium bicarbonate so that at the end point some remains undissolved, and titrate with 0.1N iodine, using a 10-ml microburette and continuing the titration to a faint yellow colour. Perform a blank determination and make the appropriate corrections. Each ml of 0.1N iodine is equivalent to 3.805 mg of propylene glycol. Calculate the apparent propylene glycol content (g /100 g of esters) from the formula: If the qualitative test for glycerol included under Identification Test (Positive test for propylene glycol) showed the product to contain glycerol, it becomes necessary to correct for the glycerol content of the polyol solution obtained after saponification and separation of liberated fatty acids. Determination of glycerol content Pipette 50 ml of the solution prepared in “A. Sample preparation” into a 600-ml beaker, add bromothymol blue TS and acidify with 0.2N sulfuric acid to a definite greenish-yellow colour. Neutralize with 0.05N sodium hydroxide to a definite blue end point free of green colour. Prepare a blank containing 50 ml of water and neutralize in the same manner. Pipette 50 ml of sodium periodate TS into each beaker, mix by swirling, cover with a watch glass and allow to stand for 30 min at room temperature (not above 35 o ) in the dark or in subdued light. Add 10 ml of a mixture of equal volumes of ethylene glycol and water and allow to stand 20 min. Dilute each solution to about 300 ml and titrate with 0.1N sodium hydroxide to pH 8.1±0.1 using a calibrated pH meter. Each ml of 0.1N sodium hydroxide, after correction for the blank, is equivalent to 9.210 mg of glycerol. Calculate the glycerol content (g/100 g of esters) from the formula: The true propylene glycol content (in g/100 g of esters) is equal to the apparent propylene glycol content (in g/100 g of esters) minus 1.65 x the glycerol content (in g/100 g of esters).

FAO JECFA Monograph 1 (2006)

Every name it appears under

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

E number

  • E477

INS number

  • 477

As it appears in regulation

  • Propane-1,2-diol esters of fatty acids

Other names

  • E 477
  • Propane-1,2-diol esters of fatty acids
  • PROPYLENE GLYCOL ESTERS OF FATTY ACIDS

Hazard reference values

The two committees set different figures. EFSA's acceptable daily intake is 80 mg/kg bw/day (2018); JECFA's is 25 mg/kg bw/day (1973). An acceptable daily intake is a reference value set by a committee, not a threshold above which harm begins. The lower figure is not a finding that the other body was wrong: the two work to different terms of reference, on their own timetables, and sometimes from different data. This site states both and chooses between them nowhere. See where the two committees differ.

Values set by assessing bodies. A body that has not set a value is not listed here.
TypeValuePopulationAssessed byOpinion
ADI80 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSA FAF2018
ADI25 mg/kg bw/day—JECFA1973

Evidence and how bodies read it

What assessing bodies concluded

Each conclusion is paraphrased in the body's own framing, from the published opinion linked beneath it. Where bodies differ, both stand; this site does not adjudicate between them or add a view of its own.

  1. EFSA 2018

    The FAF Panel found no genotoxicity concern for propane-1,2-diol esters of fatty acids (E 477) and confirmed the ADI of 25 mg/kg bw/day expressed as propane-1,2-diol (equivalent to 80 mg/kg bw/day of E 477). It concluded there would be no safety concern at reported use levels, and said it would explore a group ADI and combined exposure assessment for additives releasing propane-1,2-diol.

    Source document

Common questions

Assembled from what is above, in the words the questions are usually asked in. Each answer is the same statement the relevant section makes, with the same citations behind it.

What is E 477?
E 477 is Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids. These emulsifiers are built on propylene glycol rather than glycerol and are used chiefly in cake mixes and whipped toppings, where they help incorporate air.
What is Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids used for in food?
It is listed as an emulsifier — the role Codex assigns it. This page shows every function each regulator records, with the citation for each.
Where is Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids permitted?
Of the seven regulators this site reads, Australia and New Zealand, the EU, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea and the Codex standard permit it. Each permission is for named foods at named levels, not a blanket one; the table on this page gives them with citations.
Is Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids vegan?
It depends on the source, and a label will not tell you. Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids can be made from plant or animal material, manufacturers are not obliged to say which, and the same product can change between production runs. Anyone who needs to know has to ask the manufacturer.

Sources for this page

  • anz retrieved 2026-10-17
  • eu retrieved 2026-10-18
  • gb retrieved 2026-10-18
  • jp retrieved 2026-10-18
  • kr retrieved 2026-10-18
  • gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07
  • euspecs retrieved 2026-10-18
  • jecfaspecs retrieved 2026-09-23

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