Sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL)

Sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) is a synthetic emulsifier produced by reacting stearic acid with lactic acid, followed by neutralisation with sodium hydroxide. It is used primarily in baked goods, where it strengthens gluten structure, conditions dough, improves loaf volume, and significantly extends the softness and freshness of bread over days. SSL also functions as an aerating agent in whipped and liquid products, and as an emulsifier in coffee creamers and icings.

JECFA evaluated SSL in 1973 and established a group ADI of 20 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, applying to SSL and its closely related calcium counterpart CSL (calcium stearoyl lactylate) combined. For a 70 kg adult this equates to 1,400 mg per day — an amount well above typical dietary exposure from commercially baked bread and similar products.

SSL is approved globally — EU (E481), United States (GRAS), Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. It is one of the workhorses of the commercial baking industry and appears in most sandwich breads, hot dog buns, and packaged cakes. Consumers on clean-label or additive-free diets typically avoid it, though its safety profile is well established. It has been in continuous commercial use since the 1950s without any identified health concerns at dietary levels.