Stearyl citrate

INS 484

Used as an antioxidant — Codex also lists it as emulsifier, sequestrant.

Stearyl citrate is a sequestrant and emulsifier used in fats and oils to protect against metal-catalysed rancidity.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Stearyl citrate by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted21 CFR 184.1851retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

5 food categories

highest permitted level 15,000 mg/kg

Show every food category
  • 02.1.2 Vegetable oils and fats — GMP
  • 02.1.3 Lard, tallow, fish oil, and other animal fats — GMP
  • 02.2.2 Fat spreads, dairy fat spreads and blended spreads — 100 mg/kg
  • 05.3 Chewing gum — 15,000 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 484and 4 further provisionsretrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Made by reacting citric acid with stearyl alcohol, which may derive from plant or animal fats.

  • 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.

Every name it appears under

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

INS number

  • 484

As it appears in regulation

  • Stearyl citrate

Other names

  • STEARYL CITRATE

Hazard reference values

No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.

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

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07
  • gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07

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

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/stearyl-citrate.json