Stearyl tartrate

Stearyl tartrate is a partial ester of stearic acid (a common saturated fatty acid) with tartaric acid. It functions as a dough conditioner and emulsifier in bread and baked goods, improving dough strength, gas retention, and the overall volume and crumb structure of the final product. Its combination of fatty acid and tartaric acid components gives it a distinctive emulsifier profile suited to yeast-leavened products.

JECFA's ADI is 30 mg per kilogram body weight per day, evaluated in 1974. Stearyl tartrate is hydrolysed in the gut to stearic acid and tartaric acid — both normal dietary components. Stearic acid is a common fatty acid in the diet; tartaric acid occurs naturally in grapes and wine. No adverse effects have been identified at any realistic dietary intake from food additive use.

Stearyl tartrate is approved in the EU and several other markets. It is used primarily in commercial bread manufacturing and baked goods. For healthy adults there are no known health concerns. Like other dough conditioners derived from food-grade materials, it has a straightforward safety profile with complete metabolic conversion to familiar dietary components.