Contents
The E470 sign marks substances, or even a group of substances that are used as food additives. These synthetic concentrates are used to prevent caking or sticking of some bulk products. They mostly belong to the category of emulsifiers, dispersants, separators, foam stabilizers.
Main characteristics of substances
Other names for this food additive are: calcium, aluminum, sodium, magnesium, ammonium and potassium salts of carboxylic fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, ammonium, potassium, sodium and aluminum stearates, E470, Salts of fatty acids (with base Ca, Al, Mg , Na, K and NH4), Salts of myristic, salts of aliphatic fatty acids, Palmitic and stearic fatty acids.
Such substances usually resemble grains, flakes or powder in appearance. Their color varies from white to yellow-brown and even brown. Some salts are very soluble in water, but the calcium salt is insoluble neither in water, nor in ethyl alcohol, nor in ethers.
In its natural form in nature, E470 is most often found during the saponification of fats in the process of their breakdown in the human body during metabolism.
Chemically, such a food additive is obtained using molecular reactions, and the distillation of fatty food acids does not play a role. During the production process, various impurities are formed: glycerol, monoglycerides, water, diglycerides, unsaponifiable fats and fatty acids.
These substances are quickly, easily and fully absorbed by the human body.
The use of salts of fatty acids
The main purpose of a group of such substances is to prevent caking of bulk products: dry soups and dry broths, powdered sugar, and other types of food products. The name stearate is most often used for the name of all salts of saturated fatty acids, and oleate, in turn, for unsaturated fatty acids.
Such an additive has proven itself well in the pharmaceutical industry, contributing to better compaction and sliding of granulates, tablets, extrusion products.
Salts of aliphatic carboxylic acids are also applicable in the cosmetic industry, in the production of detergents and cleaning products, household chemicals, and also in the processing of waste paper.
According to the laws of the Russian Federation, the production of such substances is not prohibited, but is strictly limited within the limits of the permissible quantity. In European countries and Ukraine, such a food additive is prohibited for manufacture.
Useful and harmful properties of food additive E470
In essence, salts of aliphatic carboxylic acids do not pose any danger to the human body, but despite this, there are rigidly established and controlled standards for its use. They are allowed to be added to food products only in the amount of six percent of the total mass of finished products.
This is mainly due to the formation and presence of many different harmful impurities in them. Accordingly, harm to the body is caused only by those additives in which impurities remain during their formation. Therefore, it is categorically contraindicated to use such substances for people suffering from metabolic disorders in the body. In some cases, it can provoke the occurrence and development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
The safety of these products is guaranteed by the complete absorption of substances in the body, the absence of adverse reactions, subject to the rules and norms of use.
Summing up
Food additive E470 is a synthetically derived substance used in the medical, food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Used in acceptable normalized dosages, it does not cause any harm to the body and does not cause negative side reactions after use. It is undesirable to use such an additive for people with metabolic disorders. When taking high doses, the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is possible.