FDA Status
Approved
Emulsifier · CAS 151-21-3
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
FDA status: Approved. EU: not separately listed. No U.S. state has enacted a specific ban yet.
4.0 / 5
Composite safety Low Risk
Score 4 of 5
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: 4/5 (Low Risk)
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is FDA-approved, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it independently of federal policy. Its composite safety score is 4 out of 5 (Low Risk). It is used in a moderate number of tracked products.
- 61th percentile by tracked product prevalence
The verdict
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is FDA-approved, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it. It is used in a moderate number of tracked products (61th percentile by tracked product count).
- 4/5
- Low Risk
- Approved
- FDA status
- 61th pctile
- by product prevalence
- 0
- state regulations
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, CAS 151-21-3, is a emulsifier additive holding a composite safety score of 4 out of 5 (Low Risk). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Substances Added to Food inventory, it is currently classified as Approved, while the European Union lists it as not separately listed. This ingredient appears in approximately 45 tracked food products across our database. It is most commonly used as emulsifier or emulsifier salt, surface-active agent.
No U.S. state has enacted specific legislation targeting Sodium Lauryl Sulfate to date, keeping federal FDA classification as the operative standard. State-level food safety legislation remains active nationally, and that picture may shift as new bills advance.
No major peer-reviewed health concerns are presently documented for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate at consumer exposure levels, though scientific review is ongoing and positions can shift. All figures above draw on FDA SAFFA inventory records, EU food additive regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, EFSA scientific opinions where published, and legislative records from individual U.S. states.
Regulatory Snapshot
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FDA Status | Approved | FDA SAFFA |
| EU Status | Not separately listed | EC 1333/2008 |
| E-Number | - | EU additive register |
| CAS Number | 151-21-3 | CAS Registry |
| Category | Emulsifier | FDA functional class |
| Composite Safety Score | 4 / 5 (Low Risk) | PlainIngredients methodology |
| EFSA ADI | Not established | EFSA scientific opinion |
| U.S. State Actions | 0 states | State legislative records |
| Tracked Products | 45 | Open Food Facts (US) |
Values reflect official agency classifications as published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union's regulatory framework. See our methodology for scoring details.
EU Status
Not specified
U.S. State Regulations
0 states
None enacted
Safety Assessment
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate's 4/5 (Low Risk) score reflects where this specific ingredient lands on that scale. The FDA has approved Sodium Lauryl Sulfate for use in food products under specified conditions.
How Sodium Lauryl Sulfate compares
Where a safety score of 4/5 falls among all 4,509 scored ingredients tracked on PlainIngredients.
Ingredients by safety score (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate highlighted)
4,369 of 4,509 scored ingredients (96.9%) share a safety score of 4/5.
What is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate?
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (CAS 151-21-3) is an FDA-regulated food substance used as emulsifier or emulsifier salt, surface-active agent.
Common Uses
emulsifier or emulsifier salt, surface-active agent
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate safe to consume?
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate has a safety score of 4/5 (Low Risk). It is approved by the FDA for use in food. As with all food additives, moderation is advisable.
What is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate used for in food?
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is commonly used as: emulsifier or emulsifier salt, surface-active agent. It belongs to the Emulsifier category of food additives.
Is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate banned in any US states?
Currently, no US states have enacted specific bans or regulations targeting Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. However, state food safety legislation is evolving rapidly.
What is the difference between FDA and EU regulation of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate?
The FDA classifies Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as "Approved", and the EU may apply different standards. The FDA and EU use separate evaluation frameworks, the EU often applies the precautionary principle, sometimes banning additives that remain approved in the US. Always check both jurisdictions when evaluating food additive safety.
What health concerns are associated with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate?
No major health concerns have been widely documented for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate at this time. It holds a safety score of 4/5 (Low Risk). As with all food additives, ongoing scientific review may identify new findings.
How is the safety score for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate calculated?
The safety score of 4/5 for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a composite assessment based on FDA regulatory status, EU approval status, published scientific research on health effects, and state-level legislative actions. A score of 1 means "Banned / Avoid" and 5 means "Generally Safe." The score is updated as new regulatory actions or scientific evidence emerge.
Data Sources
- FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) Inventory
- EU Food Additive Regulations (EC) No 1333/2008
- State food safety legislation and bill records
What to do about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Use the regulatory picture, not a single score, to decide.
- Check the FDA status (Approved) and EU status (unlisted) before assuming it is risk-free. How we score
- Compare it against the most-restricted additives in the U.S. supply. View rankings
- Scan a whole ingredient label at once to flag the concerning entries. Label checker
Safety scores summarise regulatory status and published concerns; they are not medical or dietary advice.
Every figure on PlainIngredients is rendered directly from FDA, EU, EFSA and U.S. state regulatory records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.