# Olestra — Food additive regulatory approval status — US FDA vs EU

For Olestra, jurisdiction is US FDA (21 CFR 172–178); status is permitted; citation is 21 CFR 172.867; use conditions is in accordance with the following conditions:   ( a ) Olestra is a mixture of octa-, hepta-, and hexa-esters of sucrose with fatty acids derived from edible fats and oils or fatty acid sources that are generally recognized as safe or approved for use as food ingredients, recorded from its source on 2026-08-15.

- **Additive:** Olestra _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Jurisdiction:** US FDA (21 CFR 172–178) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Status:** permitted _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Citation:** 21 CFR 172.867 _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Use conditions:** in accordance with the following conditions:   ( a ) Olestra is a mixture of octa-, hepta-, and hexa-esters of sucrose with fatty acids derived from edible fats and oils or fatty acid sources that are generally recognized as safe or approved for use as food ingredients. _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> permitted in food. [ <https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/42-FR-14491> 42 FR 14491 , Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at <https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/47-FR-11837> 47 FR 11837 , Mar. 19, 1982; <https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/49-FR-10105> 49 FR 10105 , Mar. 19, 1984; <https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/54-FR-24897> 54 FR 24897 , June 12, 1989; <https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/70-FR-72908> 70 FR 72908 , Dec. 8, 2005; <https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/81-FR-5591> 81 FR 5591 , Feb. 3, 2016; <https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/88-FR-17721> 88 FR 17721 , Mar. 24, 2023] § 172.866 Synthetic glycerin produced by the hydrogenolysis of carbohydrates. Synthetic glycerin produced by the hydrogenolysis of carbohydrates may be safely used in food, subject to the provisions of this section: ( a ) It shall contain not in excess of 0.2 percent by weight of a mixture of butanetriols. ( b ) It is used or intended for use in an amount not to exceed that reasonably required to produce its intended effect. § 172.867 Olestra. Olestra, as identified in this section, may be safely used in accordance with the following conditions: ( a ) Olestra is a mixture of octa-, hepta-, and hexa-esters of sucrose with fatty acids derived from edible fats and oils or fatty acid sources that are generally recognized as safe or approved for use as food ingredients. The chain lengths of the fatty acids are no less than 12 carbon atoms.

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172

Last verified: 2026-08-15. Review by: 2027-08-15.
Part of [Food additive regulatory approval status — US FDA vs EU](https://referencesource.org/food-additive-approval-status-us-vs-eu/).