By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS<\/p>\n
Alternate Names<\/strong>: calcium octadecanoate; octadecanoic acid, calcium salt; stearic acid, calcium salt; calcium distearate; E470a<\/p>\n Commercial Source<\/strong>: mineral-plant<\/p>\n Used in<\/strong>: dry mixes, spices, salt, snack foods, confections, pastries, chewing gum, yeast, dietary supplements<\/p>\n Used as<\/strong>: anti-caking agent, binder, emulsifier, lubricant, release agent, flavoring additive, stabilizer, thickener<\/p>\n Definition<\/strong>: Calcium stearate formed from a reaction between a calcium-containing compound and either a stearate-containing compound or stearic acid is often used as an anti-caking agent in food or as a release agent or lubricant in pharmaceuticals and confections. Many non-food industries such as personal care, construction and paper also use calcium stearate.<\/p>\n Manufacturers<\/strong>:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.acme-hardesty.com\/product\/calcium-stearate\/<\/a><\/p>\n Email reply: \u201cOur vegetable-based calcium…stearate is made from palm oil.\u201d Phone response: Food grade vegetable-based calcium stearate is \u201ctypically the industry standard\u201d today.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www2.mallinckrodt.com\/active_pharmaceutical_ingredients\/stearates\/<\/a><\/p>\n (vegetable source listed by clicking on number to the left of chemical name under list titled \u201cStearate Products\u201d)<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.standardprocess.com\/FAQ<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.peter-greven.de\/en\/products-applications\/applications\/food-additives\/<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.silverfernchemical.com\/products\/calcium-stearate\/<\/a><\/p>\n Silver Fern told The VRG on the phone that \u201c…the standard today is vegetable-based [stearates] especially for food use.\u201d<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.seidlerchem.com\/calcium-stearate.htm<\/a><\/p>\n A Seidler Chemical employee told The VRG that \u201cin all of the pharmaceutical industry no one wants tallow-based calcium stearate…I haven’t received a call for [tallow-based calcium stearate] in years for pharmaceuticals or food.\u201d Looking at sales data from 2007 to the present, a Brenntag Specialties employee said that \u201calmost all\u201d or \u201ca big majority\u201d of all calcium stearate sold was vegetable-based although they do carry a food grade, tallow-based calcium stearate. A Brenntag NE employee told The VRG that a food-grade, tallow-based calcium stearate \u201cis not sold anymore…\u201d<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.pentamfg.com\/search<\/a> (enter \u201ccalcium stearate\u201d; click on Dietary Statement PDF in the bottom right corner for a vegan declaration)<\/p>\n An employee emailed The VRG that their calcium stearate has \u201cno animal involved.\u201d<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.sifengbio.com\/proen\/typeid\/4.html<\/a><\/p>\n An employee emailed The VRG that \u201c…our food grade calcium stearate is from plant fat, not animal fat.\u201d<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.specialitychemicalmanufacturers.com\/calcium-stearate-1288714.html#inq<\/a><\/p>\n This Indian company sells food grade calcium stearate derived from \u201cedible tallow.\u201d<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.prathamstearchem.com\/calcium_stearate.html<\/a><\/p>\n Additional Information<\/strong>:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.gpo.gov\/fdsys\/pkg\/CFR-2011-title21-vol3\/pdf\/CFR-2011-title21-vol3-sec184-1229.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/Food\/IngredientsPackagingLabeling\/GRAS\/SCOGS\/ucm261238.htm<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/compound\/15324#section=Top<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.google.com\/patents\/EP1499197A2?cl=en<\/a><\/p>\n (paragraph 12 in section titled Description and throughout section titled Materials and Methods)<\/p>\n Classification<\/strong>: Vegan* Although it is possible to derive calcium stearate from animal fats, it is not standard practice today in the food industry and no examples of tallow-derived calcium stearate in foods or pharmaceuticals are known.<\/p>\n Entry Updated: August 2015<\/p>\n For information about more ingredients, see To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at
\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.brenntagspecialties.com\/en\/pages\/Markets_IndustriesServed\/Food\/Stearates\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.brenntagnortheast.com\/en\/pages\/Products\/Complete_List\/index.html#C<\/a><\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.vrg.org\/vrgnews\/2013oct_1.php#s14<\/a><\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.vrg.org\/ingredients\/index.php<\/a><\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.vrg.org\/member\/donate_buttons.php<\/a><\/p>\n