YenzoWhat is E243 (ethyl lauroyl arginate)?
It is ethyl lauroyl arginate (lauric arginate ethyl ester, LAE), a preservative. Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT lists it (INS 243) as a preservative.
E243Ethyl lauroyl arginate
E243 is ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE), made from lauric acid, arginine and ethanol. In food it holds back bacteria, yeasts and moulds, especially in processed meat products.
Did you know? Under the current EU specifications, E243 is made by esterifying arginine with ethanol and then reacting the ester with lauroyl chloride in water at 10–15 °C and pH 6.7–6.9; it is recovered as the hydrochloride salt.
- Code
- E243 · INS 243
- Group
- Preservative
In Vietnam✓ PermittedOn the list of permitted additives — Circular 24/2019, Appendix 1
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalelow?Based on the Open Food Facts additives taxonomy
How E243 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, preservative (243), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
preservative (243)preservative 243E243INS 243On Vietnamese labels: Lauric argrinat ethyl este
Ethyl lauroyl arginate in food
CheeseProcessed meatProcessed fish and seafood
Egg products
Dipping sauces, saucesSoups and brothsSalads and sandwich spreads
Vegetables, dried fruit
Flavoured drinksQuestions about ethyl lauroyl arginate
Is ethyl lauroyl arginate harmful?
In 2019 EFSA restated the ADI of 0.5 mg/kg body weight per day (set in 2007) and saw no justification for changing it. It concluded that the ADI would already be reached in toddlers and children at the 95th percentile at the currently permitted maximum level in the EU, and that at the newly proposed uses it would be exceeded at average consumption in all age groups.
Is E243 permitted in Vietnam?
Yes. Lauric arginate ethyl ester (INS 243) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, as a preservative.
Can children and pregnant women have ethyl lauroyl arginate?
EFSA found that the ADI would be reached in toddlers and children (95th percentile) at the maximum level currently permitted in the EU, and exceeded at average consumption in all age groups at the proposed uses. The opinion has no separate group for pregnant women.
Other preservatives
E235NatamycinlowE239Hexamethylene tetraminemoderateE242Dimethyl dicarbonatelowE249Potassium nitritehighE250Sodium nitritehighE251Sodium nitratehigh
See all preservatives →Updated 21 October 2026
Sources (3)
- Open Food Facts additives taxonomy (Yenzo's table cites no EFSA opinion for this code). Open Food Facts additives taxonomy, https://github.com/openfoodfacts/openfoodfacts-server/blob/main/taxonomies/additives.txt (entry en:e243)
- Thông tư 24/2019/TT-BYT (văn bản hợp nhất 09/VBHN-BYT), Phụ lục 2A (lauric arginat ethyl este, INS 243)
- EFSA Journal (2019). Safety of ethyl lauroyl arginate (E 243) as a food additive in the light of the new information provided and the proposed extension of use