Water soluble epoxy ester copolymers adapted for sanitary can use comprise an hydroxy functional epoxy ester of a polyepoxide having an average molecular weight of about 300 to about 1100 and a 1,2-epoxy equivalency of about 1.4 to about 2.0, esterified with an at least approximately stoichiometric proportion, based on epoxide functionality, of monocarboxylic acid selected from benzoic acid, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl substituted benzoic acid, and C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 alkanoic acid, the esterification reaction being continued to provide an acid number of less than 20, this hydroxy functional epoxy ester is polyesterified with from 1.5-8%, based on the weight of the epoxy ester, of a monoethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid which resists homopolymerization to an acid number of less than 20, and the polyester so obtained is copolymerized with from 15% to 70% of monoethylenic monomers, based on the copolymer, these monoethylenic monomers including carboxyl functional monomer providing an acid number of from 20-100 in the copolymer. The copolymers are dispersed in water by salt formation with an amine and aminoplast or phenoplast resin is incorporated to provide curing reactivity.