Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Sodium stearoyl lactylate carries a safety score of 5/5 and appears in 6,116 indexed US food products. CSPI rates it “Safe.”
5/5 from FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine
How common is Sodium stearoyl lactylate vs other flagged additives?
Number of indexed products containing each of the most common flagged additives - Sodium stearoyl lactylate highlighted.
Function
Other
Safety Assessment
Sodium stearoyl lactylate is generally considered safe for consumption based on available regulatory and scientific data. It has a safety score of 5/5, indicating broad acceptance by food safety authorities.
What the Data Says About Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Sodium stearoyl lactylate currently appears in 6,116 products across the OpenFoodFacts catalog we index, which gives a concrete measure of its footprint on US grocery shelves. Our internal safety score of 5/5 synthesizes FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Chemical Cuisine classification of "Safe." On this ingredient, the two lenses broadly agree: CSPI's own review finds no elevated risk at typical dietary exposure, matching FDA's regulatory clearance.
In food manufacturing, Sodium stearoyl lactylate functions as a other. 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 Sodium stearoyl lactylate 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
| Source | Classification | Year |
|---|---|---|
| FDA SAFFA | Not listed | 2024 |
| CSPI Chemical Cuisine | Safe | 2024 |
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 5/5 | 2026 |
| Product footprint | 6,116 products | OpenFoodFacts |
FDA SAFFA database, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings, OpenFoodFacts product index. See methodology.
Products Containing Sodium stearoyl lactylate
A sample of 16 of the 6,116 indexed products containing Sodium stearoyl lactylate, with each product's overall safety score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium stearoyl lactylate safe to eat? ▼
Sodium stearoyl lactylate has a safety score of 5/5. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) rates it as "Safe." Always check with a healthcare provider if you have specific dietary concerns.
What products contain Sodium stearoyl lactylate? ▼
Sodium stearoyl lactylate is found in 6,116 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.
What does Sodium stearoyl lactylate do in food? ▼
Sodium stearoyl lactylate is used as a other in food products.
Citation notes
Regulatory status from FDA SAFFA; safety ratings from CSPI Chemical Cuisine; product presence from Open Food Facts. See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial.Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Ingredient figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.