Polyglycerol polyricinoleate

• E 476

Clear, light brown viscous liquid

Liquid

• Soluble in diethyl ether, hydrocarbons and halocarbons
• Insoluble in water and ethanol

Polyglycerol polyricinoleate ( PGPR ) is only since recently used food additive. It is the carboxylic acid ester of glycerol with oligomeric polymeric ricinoleic acid.

Production

In the first step of glycerol with 2,3- epoxy-1- propanol ( glycidol ) base catalysis oligomeric glycerol shown.

In parallel, ricinoleic acid is esterified intermolecularly under controlled heat to polyricinoleic.

Then, the esterification of the glycerol oligomers is carried out and the PGPR with polyricinoleic acid of the general structural formula

Where, depending on the process, R = H and / or may be ricinoleic acid and / or polyricinoleic.

A possible structure of PGPR is as follows:

Use

PGPR is often used as an emulsifier and stabilizer in combination with lecithin. In the EU it is approved as a food additive under the E number 476 limited, but only for low fat spreads and sauces and confectionery, cocoa base.

Security

High doses of this drug have revealed no carcinogenic effects in animal experiments, however, led to hypertrophy of the kidneys and liver, the cause probably lies in the change of the permeability of the intestinal mucosa. Histological examination of the tissue have shown no adverse effects.