Is E471 vegan? Mono- and diglycerides explained, with data from 14,411 labels
The short answer
E471 (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids) can be vegan or not. It is made from fat, and the fat can be vegetable oil or animal fat. The label usually does not say which. It is vegan if the label names a plant source, the product has a vegan mark, or the manufacturer confirms it.
E471 is the most common additive that can go either way. In 14,411 food labels scanned in the WhatsVegan app, it was on 1,488, or 10.3%. That is more than any other "depends" additive in our list of non-vegan E-numbers. Only about 1 in 10 of those labels said where it came from.
What E471 is
E471 is an emulsifier. It helps fat and water stay mixed, keeps bread and cakes soft for longer, stops ice cream from going icy and gives margarine and spreads an even texture. It is also used in chocolate, whipped toppings, instant mashed potato, crisps and some plant-based products.
The EU definition describes it as a mixture of glycerol esters of fatty acids "occurring in food oils and fats", produced from "fats and oils complying with Union food safety requirements for edible fats and oils". In practice, manufacturers heat a fat or oil with glycerol. Nothing in that definition limits the fat to plants. Palm, rapeseed, sunflower and soy oil all qualify, and so do beef tallow and lard. The additive does the same job whichever fat is used, and it goes by the same name.
Why the label rarely tells you
EU and UK labelling rules require an additive to be listed by its function and its name or E-number, for example "emulsifier: E471". They don't require the source. US rules work the same way with the name "mono- and diglycerides".
In our data, 153 of the 1,488 labels with E471 (10.3%) gave a source in the same line, such as "E471 (vegetable)", "palm mono- and diglycerides" or "mono- and diglycerides from vegetable sources". All 153 named a plant source. None said animal. Some Scandinavian labels put it in the function name instead, as in "vegetabilsk emulgator (E471)".
That doesn't mean the other 90% are animal-based. It means you can't tell from the label. Without a source statement or a vegan mark, the only way to know is to ask.
The names to look for
Most labels use a name, not the number. Only 236 of the 1,488 labels with E471 (15.9%) wrote it as "E471". Some labels used more than one name.
| How it is written | Notes | Labels in our data |
|---|---|---|
| Mono- and diglycerides (of fatty acids) | The usual name in the UK, US and EU | 846 |
| Monoglycerides | Often inside a dough conditioner on bread labels | 411 |
| E471 | The EU code, often in brackets after "emulsifier" | 236 |
| Distilled monoglycerides | A purer grade, common in bread dough conditioners | 105 |
| Glyceryl monostearate | One specific monoglyceride, also used in supplements | 20 |
In other languages it appears as mono- und Diglyceride von Speisefettsäuren (German), mono- et diglycérides d'acides gras (French), mono- e digliceridi degli acidi grassi (Italian) and mono- y diglicéridos de ácidos grasos (Spanish).
How much it matters
Of the 1,488 labels with E471, 273 (18.3%) also had an ingredient that is clearly animal-derived, most often milk or egg. For those, the E471 question doesn't change the answer.
For the rest it often does. On 941 labels (63.2%), there was no animal ingredient and E471 was the only additive from our "depends" list, not counting natural flavourings. On 472 (31.7%), there was no animal ingredient, no flavouring and no other fat-based additive at all. For those products, E471 was the only thing standing between the label and a clear vegan answer.
Bread and bakery products were the largest group we could identify. About a third of the labels with E471 (32.9%) listed both flour and yeast. It is often inside a "dough conditioner" or "improver" in brackets, so read the sub-ingredients too.
How to check a product
| What the pack shows | Example | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Says the source | "E471 (vegetable)", "mono- and diglycerides of vegetable origin", "palm mono- and diglycerides" | Vegan, as far as the E471 goes. Check the rest of the list. |
| Has a vegan mark | The Vegan Society trademark, V-Label vegan, or a similar certification | Vegan. The certifier has checked the source of every additive. |
| Says "vegetarian" | A vegetarian logo or "suitable for vegetarians" | The E471 is not from animal fat, but the product may still contain milk or egg. |
| Just the name or number | "Emulsifier (E471)", "mono- and diglycerides" | Unknown. Ask the manufacturer. |
If you need to ask, keep it short: "Is the E471 (mono- and diglycerides) in [product] made from plant or animal fat?" The Vegan Society's trademark standard requires that no ingredient involves any animal product, by-product or derivative, so a product with that mark has had its E471 source checked.
To check a whole label, paste it into the free vegan ingredient checker or scan it with the app. Both flag E471 under any of its names.
Related additives
- E472a to E472f: esters of mono- and diglycerides, made from E471. Same question, same answer. 295 of the 373 labels with an E472 in our data also listed E471.
- E422 glycerol: the other half of E471. It can come from vegetable oil, animal fat or be made synthetically.
- E481 and E482 lactylates: often listed next to E471 in bread. Made from stearic acid, which can be plant or animal.
- E322 lecithin: the other common emulsifier, and almost always from soy or sunflower.
About the numbers
The counts come from 14,411 unique food and supplement ingredient lists scanned in the WhatsVegan app between June 2025 and October 2026, after removing duplicates and cosmetics. We counted E471 whenever the code or any of its names appeared, including inside brackets. We counted a source as stated only when a plant or animal word appeared in the same ingredient entry as E471. These are products people chose to scan, so they are not a random sample of what is in shops. The method is the same as in our label analysis.
Common questions
Is E471 vegan?
It depends on the fat it was made from. E471 can be made from vegetable oils or from animal fats such as tallow or lard, and EU rules do not require the label to say which. It is vegan when the label names a plant source, carries a vegan mark, or the manufacturer confirms it.
What is E471 made from?
Fats or oils reacted with glycerol. EU rules only require the fats to be edible. Common plant sources are palm, rapeseed, sunflower and soy oil; animal sources are beef and pork fat. The same name and number are used for both.
Are mono- and diglycerides the same as E471?
Yes. Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids is the full name of E471. Monoglycerides, distilled monoglycerides and glyceryl monostearate are forms of the same additive. In our data, only 236 of 1,488 labels with E471 used the code; the rest used a name.
Is E471 halal or vegetarian?
Only if it is made from plant oil, or from animal fat that meets halal rules. A vegetarian or halal mark on the pack means the source has been checked. Without one, the label alone does not tell you.
Is E472 vegan?
Same answer as E471. E472a to E472f are E471 that has been reacted with acetic, lactic, citric or tartaric acid, so they come from the same fats. In our data, 295 of the 373 labels with an E472 also listed E471.
Sources
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1428 amending Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as regards mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E 471), definition and specifications: eur-lex.europa.eu
- EFSA re-evaluation of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids (E 471) as food additives, EFSA Journal 2017;15(11):5045: efsa.europa.eu
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex VII Part C (additives listed by category name plus specific name or E-number): eur-lex.europa.eu
- US FDA, 21 CFR 184.1505, mono- and diglycerides: ecfr.gov
- The Vegan Society, Vegan Trademark standards: vegansociety.com
