Two emulsifiers used across everyday processed foods damaged the intestinal barrier in laboratory models at concentrations well below the levels that kill cells, according to research published in the journal Allergy. The paper was first published online on 8 August 2026 and was reported by Food Safety Magazine on 25 August. It tested soy lecithin and DATEM, short for diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides. Food Safety Magazine lists their common uses as peanut butter, cocoa and chocolate products, confectionery, bread and rolls, processed meats, chewing gum and food supplements. The work was led by Duygu Yazici and Cezmi A. Akdis at the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research, part of the University of Zurich, with collaborators in Japan and Spain, and was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the EU research project SynAir-G. The researchers reported barrier damage at concentrations four to sixteen times lower than cytotoxic levels.
What the models can and cannot show
The team used human gut-on-a-chip systems, colon organoids grown from adult stem cells, human immune cells and mice, not people eating food. Both compounds activated inflammatory pathways. Soy lecithin produced oxidative stress, DATEM acted through a different mechanism and raised IgE production in human immune cells, and the two together produced stronger inflammatory responses than either alone. The authors were explicit about the gaps. No chronic human exposure study was run, the concentrations actually reached in the human gut after normal eating are not known, microbiome effects were not examined, and the work does not establish that these additives cause food allergy or chronic disease in people. Dr Cezmi Akdis said the findings support "a more comprehensive framework" for assessing additive safety.
What this means for your supplement routine
This is a research paper, not a regulatory decision. It asks regulators to widen how additives are assessed; it does not find that any product on sale is unsafe, and no UK or EU authority has changed the status of soy lecithin or DATEM in response. Great Britain and Northern Ireland run separate additive regimes after Brexit, and neither has moved here. For anyone reading labels, the practical point is narrow. These are common excipients, including in some food supplements, and the evidence that they matter at real-world dietary exposures is not yet in. How Perqen sources and prices what it sells is set out in the Perqen FAQs.
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This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.