What Are Mono and Diglycerides?

FDA regulations at 21 CFR 184.1505 say mono- and diglycerides consist of a mixture of glyceryl mono- and diesters and minor amounts of triesters, prepared from fats, oils or fat-forming acids derived from edible sources. They say mono- and diglycerides are manufactured by reacting glycerin with fatty acids or with triglycerides in the presence of an alkaline catalyst and purified to a mixture containing at least 90 percent glycerides by weight, and affirm them as generally recognized as safe as a direct human food ingredient used with no limitation other than current good manufacturing practice.

In a 2017 re-evaluation, the European Food Safety Authority panel concluded there was no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake and that mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E 471) were of no safety concern at the reported uses and use levels. It noted no indication of genotoxic, carcinogenic or reprotoxic potential in the available data, and that E 471 represented on average only 0.8 to 3.5 percent of recommended daily fat intake. It recommended that the European Commission consider revising the specifications to include maximum limits for trans fatty acids, because E 471 can be manufactured from hydrogenated fats or oils that contain significant amounts of trans fatty acids.