Polyglyceryl-3 ricinoleate, E476, is an emulsifier made from glycerol and fatty acids (usually from castor bean, but also from soybean oil).
Uses
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It is mainly used with another substance like lecithin to reduce viscosity. It can also be used as an emulsifier in spreads and in salad dressings, or to improve the texture of baked goods.
Benefits
- A very efficient emulsifier.
Cautions
- The FDA has deemed PGPR to be Generally recognized as safe for human consumption, and JECFA has also confirmed its safety. Both of these organisations set the acceptable daily intake at 7.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. In Europe, PGPR is allowed in chocolate up to a level of 0.5%. Short-term studies on rats and chickens showed reversible liver enlargement as a result of higher doses of PGPR, but those were deemed a result of increased hepatic (liver) workload.
In India, PGPR is allowed in specific products e.g. Gums.
In a 1998 review funded by Unilever of safety evaluations from the late 1950s and early 1960s, “PGPR was found to be 98% digested by rats and utilized as a source of energy superior to starch and nearly equivalent to groundnut oil.” Additionally, no evidence was found of interference with normal fat metabolism, nor with growth, reproduction, and maintenance of tissue. Overall, it did not “constitute a human health hazard.
Interactions
n/a
Other names
Triglycerinmonoinricinoleat, Polyglyceryl Ricinoleate
References
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyglycerol_polyricinoleate
Cosmetics and toiletries, http://dir.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/detail/inci.html?id=Polyglyceryl-3+Ricinoleate