Ethyl gallate

Ethyl gallate is a synthetic antioxidant belonging to the gallate ester family, which also includes propyl gallate (E310), octyl gallate (E311), and dodecyl gallate (E312). It is produced by esterification of gallic acid — a naturally occurring phenolic acid found in plants — with ethanol. In food it functions by scavenging free radicals and breaking the chain reactions responsible for lipid oxidation, thereby preventing the development of rancidity in fats, oils, and fat-containing foods such as fried snacks, baked goods, and processed meat products.

JECFA established an ADI of 0.1 mg/kg body weight per day for ethyl gallate based on its 1995 safety evaluation. While this places it within the gallate antioxidant group, the numerical value reflects a conservative assessment derived from animal safety studies. The gallate esters are metabolised by intestinal esterases to gallic acid and the corresponding alcohol, both of which are handled through established metabolic pathways. Gallic acid itself is widely present in plant foods including tea, wine, and berries.

Ethyl gallate is approved in the EU and in other jurisdictions for use in fats, oils, and fat-containing foods at controlled maximum levels. Some weak estrogenic activity has been observed for gallate esters in vitro, consistent with the broader phenolic antioxidant class, though the significance at typical food intake levels is not considered a regulatory concern. Ethyl gallate is less commonly used than propyl gallate (E310) in commercial food applications due to its slightly lower antioxidant potency at the concentrations used, but it remains available as a permitted additive and may appear alone or in combination with other antioxidants such as BHA (E320) and BHT (E321) to achieve synergistic stabilisation.