INS 475 is polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, numbered E475 in Europe. Codex lists it as an emulsifier and stabilizer.
It is made in two steps. Glycerol is first heated so that several molecules link into short chains (polyglycerol), and these chains are then combined with fatty acids from edible fats or oils. By choosing the chain length and the fat, manufacturers tune how strongly the product is drawn to water or to fat. Both the fatty acids and the glycerol can come from vegetable or animal sources, and a label usually does not say which.
In baking it helps batters hold air, giving cakes a lighter, finer crumb, and it helps keep the fat in creams and fillings stable. On SeekSnack it appears in two products from the Today range, the Today Snowball Cake and a chocolate-hazelnut croissant, and in Party Crispy Pie Butter Caramel.
