Polysorbate 60
Other names Tween 60, E435
Polysorbate 60: moderate in salicylate; low in FODMAPs and nickel. If you're sensitive to any of these, check it against your profile before eating.
Intolerances
- SalicylateModerate
Polysorbate 60 is an emulsifier with no chemical relation to salicylate, restricted in elimination diets that cut additives broadly rather than for a shared mechanism.
Sources· 1
- Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment
- FODMAPsLow
Polysorbate 60 is a fatty acid ester of sorbitol. Fat carries no fermentable carbohydrate, and the sorbitol in the sorbitan name is bound into the molecule rather than free - it is not released as the polyol that would matter here.
- NickelLow
Polysorbate 60 is built from sorbitol and stearic acid, and food-grade stearic acid is commonly made by hydrogenating a vegetable oil - over a nickel catalyst. That is the route, and it leaves a residue rather than an ingredient. For this additive there is no legal nickel ceiling at all.
Sources· 1
- Regulation (EU) No 231/2012, purity criteria for food additives
- LactoseFODMAPsNone
- Histamine (+liberators / DAO inhibitors)None
Polysorbate 60 (E435) has no histamine route: it neither contains nor releases histamine, and it does not inhibit DAO. It is worth a line anyway, because emulsifiers of this kind are studied for their effect on the gut microbiota and the mucus layer, and that can produce digestive symptoms which feel similar. Different mechanism - avoiding it will not lower a histamine load. One precision the citation below needs: what was tested is polysorbate 80, not this one — the tail is different — and the human trial fed carboxymethylcellulose, at 15 grams a day for eleven days in sixteen people.
Sources· 1
- Chassaing et al., Nature 2015 and Gastroenterology 2022
- GlutenNo
- FructoseFODMAPsNone
- OligosaccharidesFODMAPsNone
- SorbitolFODMAPsNone
- SucroseNone
- TyramineNone
- OxalatesNone
Intolerance levels are based on our documented scientific sources. See sources →
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Frequently asked questions
Which intolerances does Polysorbate 60 affect?
Polysorbate 60 is notable for salicylate, FODMAPs and nickel. Clear on lactose, histamine, gluten, fructose, oligosaccharides, sorbitol, sucrose, tyramine and oxalates.
Does Polysorbate 60 contain salicylate?
Polysorbate 60 contains moderate levels of salicylate. Polysorbate 60 is an emulsifier with no chemical relation to salicylate, restricted in elimination diets that cut additives broadly rather than for a shared mechanism.
Does Polysorbate 60 contain FODMAPs?
Polysorbate 60 contains only low levels of FODMAPs. Polysorbate 60 is a fatty acid ester of sorbitol. Fat carries no fermentable carbohydrate, and the sorbitol in the sorbitan name is bound into the molecule rather than free - it is not released as the polyol that would matter here.
Does Polysorbate 60 contain nickel?
Polysorbate 60 contains only low levels of nickel. Polysorbate 60 is built from sorbitol and stearic acid, and food-grade stearic acid is commonly made by hydrogenating a vegetable oil - over a nickel catalyst. That is the route, and it leaves a residue rather than an ingredient. For this additive there is no legal nickel ceiling at all. Amounts vary by brand and recipe, so always check the label of the exact product.
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