What Is Polysorbate 80?
Polysorbate 80, also known as polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate or Tween™ 80, is an amber-colored, viscous liquid with a slightly bitter taste. It is used primarily as an emulsifier in food products, cosmetics, vitamins, medicines, and vaccines. The product is a derivative of sorbitol and oleic acid, and is manufactured worldwide.
Emulsifiers help bind ingredients together and keep them from separating, most commonly with oil and water. It is also a surfactant – a substance which reduces the surface tension of a liquid – which results in an easier, smoother spread. Frequently, it is used in ice cream and frozen desserts to resist melting. Polysorbate 80 is also used as an emulsifier and surfactant in products such as shortening, condiments, chewing gum, dietary foods, and whipped dessert toppings, as well as a host of cosmetic creams and lotions.
Polysorbate 80 is also used as a solubilizer, meaning that it aids in dissolving ingredients that would not otherwise dissolve or that would not fully dissolve. As a solubilizer, it is found in pickled foods, gelatin desserts, liquid soaps, bath gels, and vitamins. It also can be found in many medications.
The liquid also can be used with yeast and cottage cheese as a defoamer. It is used as a wetting agent in the cleaning and preparation of some foods, such as poultry. By contrast, it can be used in products not intended for consumption such as herbicides.
In the 1980s, Polysorbate 80 was put forward as a potential cure for baldness, and was initially well received; however, in 1986, a lengthy hearing involving manufacturers, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the US Postal Service, a court ruling prevented manufacturers from making anti-baldness claims. Since that time, it may still be purchased as a hair and scalp treatment, provided there are no hair growth claims.
There has been some controversy over the potential health risks of Polysorbate 80. The primary concern involves injection of the chemical into the body. A study in 1993 showed that injection of Polysorbate 80 into baby female rats resulted in malformed reproductive organs. Years later, reports of this study caused many to question the safety of Polysorbate 80 used in flu vaccines for the H1N1 virus.
The chemical has also been linked to anaphylactic shock, though not conclusively. There is also a risk of allergic reaction. No studies where the Polysorbate 80 was administered orally, however, have found any health risk, and no risks have been found in studies using human subjects.
Written by Henry Gaudet
