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Sodium and Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate (E 481, E 482)

Last reviewed October 19, 2026

In plain words: Sodium stearoyl lactylate (E 481) helps bread dough hold together and stay soft. Calcium stearoyl lactylate (E 482) is a closely related dough conditioner.

What the evidence review says

Sodium stearoyl lactylate

Sodium stearoyl lactylate helps bread dough hold together and stay soft. It breaks down into normal food components, and animal tests have not shown a genotoxicity concern. EFSA's estimates using legal maximum levels suggested some children could go above the acceptable daily intake; an estimate based on measured levels in foods came out lower.

Animal data show low acute toxicity and no genotoxicity concern, and the breakdown products are normal dietary constituents. The real regulatory flag is intake versus the ADI. EFSA’s 2013 maximum-level estimates exceeded the group ADI of 22 mg/kg bw/day for children at typical intakes and for every age group at high intakes. A Belgian assessment that used measured concentrations instead of legal maxima found intake below the ADI except in about 1.9% of children. Dedicated carcinogenicity and reproductive studies of the additive itself are missing.

Calcium stearoyl lactylate

Calcium stearoyl lactylate is a dough conditioner closely related to sodium stearoyl lactylate and shares its acceptable daily intake. Short-term and genotoxicity tests are reassuring, but long-term cancer and reproduction studies on this additive are missing. Estimates at legal maximum levels can go above the intake limit for children; estimates based on measured levels generally do not.

EFSA evaluates it with sodium stearoyl lactylate under one ADI of 22 mg/kg bw/day. The toxicology is reassuring on acute toxicity and genotoxicity, and hydrolysis products are ordinary metabolites, but carcinogenicity and reproductive studies of the additive are absent. Legal-maximum intake estimates can exceed the ADI, especially in children; estimates based on analysed levels generally do not.

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This page is for general education. It is not medical advice and does not replace advice from your doctor, pediatrician, allergist or registered dietitian. Research changes; we review these pages when new evidence or rules come out. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.