Propylene Glycol
Function: Emulsifier
E1520 is the European food-additive number for Propylene Glycol, an emulsifier — helps ingredients that normally separate, like oil and water, stay mixed. Propylene Glycol (E1520) is an emulsifier used as a food additive.
What is E1520 used for?
Propylene Glycol (E1520) is an emulsifier — helps ingredients that normally separate, like oil and water, stay mixed. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all emulsifiers (E-numbers).
Is E1520 safe or restricted?
E1520 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as “No regulatory flags” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E1520 vegan or vegetarian?
Propylene Glycol (E1520) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E1520?
E1520 appears in 565 of the 4.6 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in cakes, pastry and muffins.
- Cakes135
- Pastry27
- Muffins19
- Sweet Pastries14
- Sweet Breads11
- Vanilla Extract10
- Sandwiches10
- Pudding / Flan9
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E1520 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E1520
- What is E1520?
- E1520 is the E-number for Propylene Glycol, an emulsifier — helps ingredients that normally separate, like oil and water, stay mixed. Propylene Glycol (E1520) is an emulsifier used as a food additive.
- What is E1520 used for?
- Propylene Glycol (E1520) is an emulsifier — helps ingredients that normally separate, like oil and water, stay mixed. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E1520?
- E1520 appears in 565 of the 4.6 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in cakes, pastry and muffins. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E1520 vegan or vegetarian?
- Propylene Glycol (E1520) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E1520 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E1520 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as "No regulatory flags" and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E1520 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See how Forkin compares to other scanners or view pricing.