Is E476 halal?
E476, polyglycerol polyricinoleate or PGPR, is built from two parts: ricinoleic acid from castor oil, always a plant, and polyglycerol, made from glycerol that can itself be plant or animal derived. That second half is the whole question. The Halal Conformity Center calls E476 halal outright on the plant route. SANHA lists it as Mushbooh and wants the source traced. GMWA calls it permissible regardless, on the reasoning that manufacturing changes it chemically. There is no single answer; there is a certifier to pick.
What E476 is
E476 is a chocolate emulsifier, added in small amounts to thin melted chocolate so it flows evenly through moulds, enrobers and piping equipment. That lets a manufacturer use less cocoa butter, the most expensive ingredient in a chocolate recipe, while keeping the same pourable texture. It is not a flavor or a preservative; it is purely a processing aid, and it shows up in the finished product only as a line in the ingredient list.
The two halves: castor oil and polyglycerol
PGPR is made by reacting ricinoleic acid, extracted from castor oil, with polyglycerol, a chain of linked glycerol units. Castor oil comes from the seeds of the castor plant and has no animal route, so that half of the molecule is settled. Polyglycerol is a different story: the glycerol it is built from can be pressed from a vegetable oil, built synthetically, or split from an animal fat such as tallow, the same three-way fork covered for glycerin itself in is glycerin halal. A finished bottle of PGPR cannot be tested to tell which route supplied the glycerol; only the supplier knows, which is exactly why the certifiers below disagree on how much checking E476 needs.
Halal positions: HCC, SANHA and GMWA
The New York based Halal Conformity Center rates E476 halal, describing it on its E numbers guidance as an emulsifier used in chocolate, made from castor oil and glycerol of plant origin, and treating the plant route as the settled case rather than a source check. South Africa's SANHA takes the more cautious position. Its mashbooh E numbers list carries E476, Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate, status Mushbooh, described as polyglycerol esters of polycondensed fatty acids of castor oil, and its neighbours through the E470 to E494 emulsifier block carry the same status with an explicit instruction to check the source of the glycerol and fatty acid components rather than assume it. The UK's GMWA Halal Foodguide disagrees with both. Its answer on E471, E472 and E476 states these additives "can be from a vegetarian, synthetic or animal source" but rules all three permissible in any case, reasoning that they go through a "chemical metamorphosis", istihala, during manufacture. GMWA adds that a "suitable for vegetarians" claim on the label would confirm no animal source was used, leaving only an alcohol check. Three respected certifiers, three different conclusions from the same starting facts: pick the authority you follow, and treat a certification mark on the actual product as stronger evidence than any of these general rulings.
Kosher, vegetarian and vegan status
Kosher status runs on the same fork as halal: a castor oil and plant glycerol PGPR raises no objection, while an animal-glycerol route reopens the source animal's kosher status. No certifier reached here publishes an E476-specific kosher ruling, so a hechsher on the pack is the only reliable signal. Vegetarian status follows the same split as vegan, below, since neither the castor oil nor a plant-glycerol PGPR involves any animal at all, while a tallow-glycerol batch would fail both. Vegan Easy's food additives database lists E476, Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate, common use emulsifier, and flags that it may contain animal fats, telling shoppers to check with the manufacturer before assuming. The Vegan Society's own non-vegan additives roundup does not mention E476 at all, so it takes no position either way. That gap, more than a ruling, is the honest state of vegan guidance on this one.
E476 by dietary profile
| Profile | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Halal | Insufficient Data | Halal to the Halal Conformity Center on the plant route, mushbooh to SANHA pending a source check, permissible in any case to GMWA on chemical change grounds. No single answer; check the certifier you follow. |
| Kosher | Insufficient Data | Same glycerol-source fork as halal. No E476-specific kosher ruling found; look for a hechsher on the pack. |
| Vegetarian | Insufficient Data | Fine if the glycerol is plant or synthetic, not if it is tallow-derived. The label does not distinguish. |
| Vegan | Insufficient Data | Vegan Easy flags it as may contain animal fats. The Vegan Society does not list E476 at all, so no ruling is published there either. |
| Allergens | Insufficient Data | Not one of the Big 9 itself; it is almost always found inside a chocolate product that already lists milk or soy from the cocoa base. |
Where E476 turns up
- Chocolate coatings and compound chocolate, its main use, keeping the coating thin enough to enrobe candy bars and biscuits evenly.
- Moulded chocolate, where it helps melted chocolate fill fine detail without extra cocoa butter.
- Some spreads, after Unilever's 2023 GRAS notice extended accepted US use beyond chocolate.
- Chocolate is also where the source questions for whey and E471 turn up in the same bar; see the halal chocolate list.
Open Food Facts was unreachable while this page was checked
No specific brand's current ingredient statement for E476 is quoted here as a result. Scan the actual bar in PlatePal to see what its own label lists.
How to spot it on a label
- E476 is the EU and UK label form.
- Polyglycerol polyricinoleate or PGPR is the US label form.
- Neither form states the glycerol source; a halal, kosher or vegan mark on the pack outranks the ingredient name.
- For any other additive code on a label, decode it at the E number checker, E476.
Is E476 an approved food additive?
In the EU and UK, yes: E476 is on the Union list of approved food additives under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. In the US, it is approved through two GRAS notices rather than a Code of Federal Regulations section. Palsgaard's GRN 266 received an FDA no questions letter on 2009-05-29, covering PGPR as an emulsifier in chocolate-type products made with vegetable fats other than cocoa butter, up to 0.3 percent. Unilever's GRN 1105 received a no questions letter on 2023-06-14, extending the accepted use to chocolate products and to mayonnaise and spreads. Both are FDA safety findings about the finished molecule at a stated use level. Neither says anything about which fat supplied the glycerol, which is why the halal, kosher and vegan questions above stay open even where the US approval is settled.
Frequently asked questions
Is E476 halal or haram?
It depends on which certifier you follow and, for one, on the glycerol source. E476 is polyglycerol polyricinoleate, PGPR, built from castor oil and polyglycerol. The castor oil half is always a plant. The polyglycerol half can be made from plant or animal glycerol, and the label does not say which. The Halal Conformity Center rates E476 halal outright on the plant route. South Africa's SANHA lists E476 as Mushbooh, alongside most of the E470 to E494 emulsifier block, and wants the source traced. The UK's GMWA Halal Foodguide treats E476 as permissible in any case, reasoning that it goes through a chemical metamorphosis during manufacture. Follow the authority you trust; a halal mark on the pack is the reliable shortcut.
What is E476 made from?
Two parts joined together: ricinoleic acid from castor oil, a plant, and polyglycerol, made by linking glycerol molecules end to end. The finished emulsifier lets melted chocolate flow more thinly through moulds and pipes, so less cocoa butter is needed to get the same texture. It is not made from castor oil alone; the glycerol backbone is the part that needs checking.
Is E476 vegan?
Not guaranteed. Vegan Easy's additive database lists E476 as an emulsifier that may contain animal fats and tells shoppers to check with the manufacturer. The Vegan Society's own non-vegan additives list does not name E476 at all, so it offers no ruling either way. Since the polyglycerol half can be sourced from animal glycerol, treat plain E476 or "polyglycerol polyricinoleate" as unresolved without a vegan mark.
Is E476 the same as E471 or E472?
Related, not identical. E471 (mono- and diglycerides) and E472 (its acid ester variants) are both built from glycerol and fatty acids, the same building blocks as E476, which is why certifiers group all three together. E476 is specifically a polyglycerol ester of the fatty acids in castor oil, used mainly to thin chocolate, while E471 and E472 are more general purpose emulsifiers found across baked goods, margarine and whipped toppings. Is E471 halal runs through the parallel case in detail.
Does GMWA say E476 is halal because of istihala?
Yes. The GMWA Halal Foodguide's answer on E471, E472 and E476 states these additives "can be from a vegetarian, synthetic or animal source" but rules them permissible in any case because they "go through a chemical metamorphosis" in manufacture. GMWA adds that a "suitable for vegetarians" label claim would confirm no animal source was used, leaving only an alcohol check. SANHA and the Halal Conformity Center do not share GMWA's istihala reasoning and still ask for the source to be traced, so the three certifiers land in different places on the same ingredient.
Is E476 approved for use in the US?
Yes, but only through two GRAS notices, not a Code of Federal Regulations listing. Palsgaard's GRN 266 got an FDA no questions letter on 2009-05-29 for PGPR as an emulsifier in chocolate-type products made with vegetable fats other than cocoa butter, up to 0.3 percent. Unilever's GRN 1105 got a no questions letter on 2023-06-14, extending accepted use to chocolate products and to mayonnaise and spreads. Both notices confirm the FDA has no safety objection; neither one is a religious or dietary ruling.
Where does E476 show up on a US label?
As "polyglycerol polyricinoleate" or "PGPR" in the ingredient list, most often in chocolate and chocolate coatings, and sometimes in spreads. In the EU and UK it appears as E476. It is not one of the Big 9 allergens itself, though it usually sits inside a product that already lists milk or soy from the cocoa base.
What this page is not
Allergens. PlatePal screens ingredient data, so this page is information and not medical advice. A recipe can change before the data does, and shared equipment never appears in an ingredient list. Always read the label on the package in your hand, and follow your allergist or doctor over any app.
Religious status. A screening result is not a religious ruling. Certifiers and schools of thought differ, and PlatePal does not rank them. For anything you hold yourself strictly to, ask a qualified authority or the certifier you already follow.
Data checked on 2026-09-28. Formulations change; verify your package.
Sources
- Halal Conformity Center: E numbers guidance (E476, halal, castor oil and glycerol of plant origin) Checked 2026-09-28.
- SANHA: mashbooh E numbers list (E476, polyglycerol esters of polycondensed fatty acids of castor oil) Checked 2026-09-28.
- GMWA Halal Foodguide: whether a suitable for vegetarians mark settles E471, E472 and E476 (permissible in any case, complete chemical metamorphosis) Checked 2026-09-28.
- Vegan Easy (Animal Liberation Victoria): food additives database (E476, may contain animal fats) Checked 2026-09-28.
- The Vegan Society: how to avoid buying non-vegan products (E476 not listed among the named additives) Checked 2026-09-28.
- FDA GRAS Notice inventory, GRN 266: polyglycerol polyricinoleate, Palsgaard A/S, no questions letter 2009-05-29 Checked 2026-09-28.
- FDA GRAS Notice inventory, GRN 1105: polyglycerol polyricinoleic acid, Unilever, no questions letter 2023-06-14 Checked 2026-09-28.
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, consolidated text 02008R1333, Annex II Part B is the Union list Checked 2026-09-12.
Related reading: E471 raises the same plant-versus-animal source question through a more common additive, covered in is E471 halal. Glycerin itself, the building block inside E476's polyglycerol half, gets the full three-source breakdown in is glycerin halal. For a rundown of which common additive codes are halal outright, see the E numbers halal list. For any other additive code, start at the E number checker.