Regulatory status
Lecithin is typically categorized as a food emulsifier. It is a complex mixture of a wide variety of components: phospholipids, glycolipids, carbohydrates and, in some cases, triglycerides. Phospholipids (polar lipids containing phosphorus) are the “active ingredients” of all lecithins, both from a technological and a physiological perspective.
This mixture is authorized in Europe as the food additive 'lecithin' under the code number E322 and in the USA in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations and the Food Chemical Codex. It also is used as a dietary supplement.
Cargill’s global team of regulatory and food law experts will be glad to provide assistance on regulatory, nutrition-related claims and food law-related issues.
Some Cargill products are only approved for use in certain geographies, end uses, and/or at certain usage levels. It is the customer's responsibility to determine, for a particular geography, that (i) the Cargill product, its use and usage levels, (ii) the customer's product and its use, and (iii) any claims made about the customer's product, all comply with applicable laws and regulations.
