Is Sorbitan Monostearate (E491) Vegan?

Also known as: SMS, Span 60, Sorbitan stearate, Anhydrosorbitol monostearate

Depends on Source

Sorbitan monostearate depends on where its stearic acid came from. The sorbitol half is made from plant starch, while the fatty acid half comes from palm oil in most production and from animal fat in some. The label does not distinguish them.

Last checked 29 Jul 2026 How we decide

Ingredient Data

Vegan Status

Depends on Source

E-Number

E491

Also Known As

SMS; Span 60; Sorbitan stearate; Anhydrosorbitol monostearate

Source

Made from sorbitol and stearic acid. Sorbitol from plant starch is dehydrated to sorbitan, which is then esterified with stearic acid. The sorbitan half is plant-derived without qualification. The stearic acid half comes from palm and other vegetable oils in most commercial supply, and from rendered animal fat in part of the oleochemical trade.

Commonly Found In

Cake mixes and icings, whipped and dessert toppings, coffee whiteners, chocolate coatings, yeast for baking, marzipan, and cosmetics such as creams and lotions.

Vegan Alternative

Sunflower or soy lecithin covers many of the same jobs, and vegan-certified products have had their emulsifier sourcing checked.

Additional Notes

The sorbitan esters run from E491 through E495, and all carry the same open question about the fatty acid used. Stearic acid was first isolated from tallow and takes its name from the Greek word for it, so this family deserves a real check. Palm stearin now supplies most of the commercial market.

In depth

Half Plant, Half Unlabeled

Sorbitan monostearate is built in two stages. Sorbitol, made by hydrogenating glucose from corn or wheat starch, is heated with an acid catalyst until it loses water and cyclizes into sorbitan. That half is plant-derived with no ambiguity. Stearic acid is then esterified onto the sorbitan. Commercial stearic acid comes overwhelmingly from palm stearin and other tropical oils, which are cheap and rich in saturated fat.

Rendered beef and pork fat remain sources in the wider oleochemical industry. EU specifications for E491 set limits on free fatty acid, sorbitol content, and acid value. Nothing in them names the origin of the stearic acid, so a supplier can meet the specification from either feedstock. The same gap applies to E570 stearic acid, E572 magnesium stearate, and the whole E470 to E495 emulsifier range.

Where It Works

Sorbitan monostearate is a low-HLB emulsifier. It favors the oil phase. Formulators pair it with a high-HLB partner such as polysorbate 60 to build a stable emulsion from both sides. Icings and coatings use it to control fat crystallization, which keeps a glaze glossy and stops bloom on chocolate coatings. Whipped and dessert toppings use it for foam stability.

Cake mixes include it in emulsifier blends for volume and crumb softness. One unusual application belongs to baking yeast, where sorbitan monostearate is used at low levels in dried and compressed yeast as a rehydration aid. Bread made with such yeast may carry no additive declaration at all, since the amount is a processing aid level. Readers sometimes find the additive harder to trace than the label suggests.

Resolving It for a Given Product

The usual three routes apply. A recognized vegan certification mark means the certifier has traced the emulsifier feedstock. A UK vegetarian mark screens out slaughter-derived material. A manufacturer query normally gets a clear answer, and in Europe that answer is usually palm.

Where none of those is available, the source is unresolved for that specific product, and the accurate thing to say is that most commercial sorbitan monostearate is plant-derived without knowing about the item in hand. The palm answer carries its own tradeoff. Palm cultivation drives deforestation in Southeast Asia, and a reader avoiding palm will find that alternative stearic acid sources include animal fat, which narrows the options down to certified plant-based products from other oils.

Frequently asked questions

Is E491 vegan?

It depends on the stearic acid. The sorbitol half comes from plant starch, while the fatty acid half can come from palm and other vegetable oils or from rendered animal fat. Most commercial material is plant-derived, and only certification or the manufacturer confirms it.

What does sorbitan monostearate do?

It emulsifies from the oil side, controlling fat crystallization and stabilizing foams. Icings stay glossy, chocolate coatings resist bloom, and whipped toppings hold their air because of it.

Is E491 in bread?

Sometimes, indirectly. Small amounts are used in dried and compressed baking yeast as a rehydration aid, at levels that may not require declaration on the finished loaf. Bakery emulsifier blends also include it directly.

Which additives carry the same sourcing question?

The sorbitan esters E491 to E495, the fatty acid esters E470a through E483, stearic acid itself (E570), and magnesium stearate (E572). One query to a manufacturer usually covers all the emulsifiers in a given product.

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