Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids

Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 56 indexed US food products.

Safety score 60.0%

3/5 from FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine

How common is vs other flagged additives?

Number of indexed products containing each of the most common flagged additives — Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids highlighted.

Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids56
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
FDA Status
Approved
Safety Score
3/5

Function

EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT

Safety Assessment

Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids has a moderate safety profile (3/5). While approved for use, some studies or consumer advocacy groups have raised questions about certain aspects of this ingredient. Consumers who prefer caution may wish to limit intake.

What the Data Says About

Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids currently appears in 56 products across the OpenFoodFacts catalog we index, which gives a concrete measure of its footprint on US grocery shelves. Our internal safety score of 3/5 synthesizes FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status — currently "Approved" — with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Chemical Cuisine classification. These two frameworks capture different questions: regulators ask whether exposure at typical intake is acceptable, while consumer-advocacy groups examine cumulative dietary load and vulnerable-population risk.

In food manufacturing, Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids functions as a emulsifier or emulsifier salt, formulation aid, surface-active agent. That technical role explains why it recurs across many product categories — formulators select specific additives for stability, shelf life, color, or texture performance, and substitution is rarely a one-for-one swap when regulations or consumer preferences shift. Inspection and outbreak data often trace back to breakdown in the control of exactly these kinds of functional ingredients, either through contaminated batches, undisclosed substitutions, or labeling errors that trigger FDA-initiated recalls.

No specific concern flags are attached to Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids in our current data snapshot beyond the regulatory and CSPI classifications above. That does not rule out individual sensitivity reactions, and anyone managing allergies, elimination diets, or chronic conditions should verify with a qualified healthcare professional before relying on population-level ratings.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Regulatory and safety classifications for Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Approved 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 56 products OpenFoodFacts

FDA SAFFA database, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings, OpenFoodFacts product index. See methodology.

Products Containing

Showing 50 of 56 products

12 frosted cakes with spring strawberry flavored filling, spring strawberry
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
85/100
12 S'Mores Flavored Cakes, 12 S'Mores
Tastykake
95/100
Banana Cake With Icing, Banana
Tastykake
90/100
Blueberry fruit & yogurt bars, blueberry
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
30/100
Brownie king
Unknown
100/100
Bundt
Ne-Mo's
100/100
Buttercream cake
Unknown
50/100
cake
Unknown
25/100
Cheese cinnamon roll
Unknown
85/100
cheesecake. sara lee
Unknown
95/100
Chocolate Coating Kandy Kakes, Peanut Butter
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
100/100
Chocolate kreamie chocolate layer cakes with creme filling
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
100/100
Colossal yellow rainbow cake slice
Unknown
75/100
Cookie bars
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
95/100
Cornbread
Unknown
100/100
Cornbread
Unknown
100/100
Dr oetker mousse suprm dark choc tr
Dr. Oetker Usa Llc
65/100
Dr. oetker, black forest cake mix
Dr. Oetker
0/100
Dr. oetker, light mousses, instant dessert mix, dark chocolate
Dr. Oetker
55/100
Dr. oetker, mousse light instant dessert mix, vanilla
Dr. Oetker
30/100
French Cheese Cake
Sara Lee
65/100
French Style Classic Cheesecake
Sara Lee
70/100
Fruit & yogurt iced bars
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
55/100
Golden Fudge Cakes
Sara Lee
100/100
Instant Mousse
Dr. Oetker
100/100
Instant mousse mix
Unknown
45/100
Instant mousse mix
Dr. Oetker
95/100
Instant mousse mix milk chocolate
Dr. Oetker
95/100
Lemon iced cupcakes
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
100/100
Mini Bundt Cake
Edda's
60/100
Mousse
Dr. Oetker
95/100
Mousse Vanilla Light Instant Dessert Mix
Dr.Oetker
30/100
Peanut Butter Cakes With Chocolate Flavored Coating And Peanut Butter Filling, Peanut Butter
Unknown
100/100
Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes
Tastykake
100/100
Peanut butter kandy kakes, peanut butter
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
100/100
Pumpkin spice flavored cupcakes with cream cheese icing
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
95/100
Sara lee, classic cheesecake, whipped & fluffy
Sara Lee, Kitchens Of Sara Lee
90/100
Seasonal mocha flavored cakes with mocha flavored filling and dark chocolate coating
Unknown
95/100
Spring lemon frosted cakes with lemon flavored filling, spring lemon
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
85/100
Strawberry cheesecake
Sara Lee,Kitchens Of Sara Lee
65/100
Strawberry mousse
Dr. Oetker
20/100
Strawberry shortcake cupkakes, seasonal strawberry
Unknown
100/100
Taffy cupcake
Unknown
75/100
Tastykake, cupcakes, graham
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
40/100
Tastykake, juniors, chocolate layer cakes
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
100/100
Tastykake, kandy kakes, cakes with chocolate coating and caramel filling, fall salted caramel
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
95/100
Tastykake, kandy kakes, cakes, peanut butter
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
100/100
Tastykake, kandy kakes, fall karrot kake
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
85/100
Tastykake, kandy kakes, key lime
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
30/100
Tastykake, kandy kakes, summer key lime
Tastykake, Tasty Baking Company
30/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids safe to eat?

Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids has a safety score of 3/5. FDA status: Approved. Always check with a healthcare provider if you have specific dietary concerns.

What products contain Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids?

Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids is found in 56 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids do in food?

Lactylic Esters Of Fatty Acids is used as a emulsifier or emulsifier salt, formulation aid, surface-active agent in food products.

Where does this ingredient safety data come from?

Safety data comes from the FDA's SAFFA (Substances Added to Food) database, CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) ratings, and the OpenFoodFacts product database. Product counts reflect items cataloged in OpenFoodFacts.