DATEM is an emulsifier, an infant formula ingredient that helps a formula mixture stay blended rather than separating into layers. Emulsifiers add stability to mixtures that contain both fats and water. DATEM’s formal name sounds royal, it is “diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides”. CITREM is another emulsifier that is found in infant formulas.

Why Is DATEM Added to Infant Formula?

Like a homemade vinegar and oil salad dressing, water and fat ingredients do not naturally blend. A quick, vigorous shake mixes salad dressing enough for a drizzle over greens, but the ingredients do not stay blended very long. Thirty seconds later, vinegar and oil have each taken up their separate stations, as if they were separated by distinct yellow lines on asphalt. Drizzle this divorced dressing and you may end up with more oil than vinegar on your greens.

Infant formula contains ingredients that dissolve in water (water soluble) and some that will only dissolve in fat (fat soluble). Extensively hydrolyzed proteins, like casein hydrolysates found in allergy formulas, are particularly difficult to keep combined with all the other ingredients. Manufacturers therefore add small amounts of emulsifiers like DATEM so that formula remains well-blended and pleasant on the tongue.

Regulations and Safety

DATEM is used in many foods and is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the US FDA. The European Food Safety Authority approved DATEM as a food additive, and it has the E-number E472e. Abbott, the makers of Similac® Alimentum®, published their safety study on DATEM.

Dietary Considerations

DATEM is made from vegetable oils and is therefore appropriate for vegans and vegetarians. It is usually made from non-GMO oils and is both kosher and halal.