Tag: Lac bug

The shiny coating on your favorite candy might not be vegan. Many sweets use confectioners glaze, made from shellac, a resin secreted by an insect, making it unsuitable for a plant-based diet.

Every apple naturally produces its own protective, waxy coating, but much of the glossy sheen on store-bought apples comes from an added food-grade coating. Some of this commercial application, called shellac, surprisingly answers the question of what is the wax on apples from bugs, as it is a secretion from the female lac bug.

An estimated 50,000 to 300,000 female lac insects are required to produce just one kilogram of shellac, the wax made of bugs that is used in a surprising number of products. Secreted as a protective covering, this insect resin is a natural, versatile substance that has been harvested for centuries for use in everything from candy coatings to wood finishes.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), food-grade shellac is classified as 'Generally Recognized As Safe' (GRAS) for consumption. This natural resin, also known as confectioner's glaze, is used to give sweets like jelly beans and candies a hard, glossy finish.

Over 1.5 million people in the United States identify as vegan, and many of them will be surprised to learn that standard confectioners glaze is not vegan. This glossy coating, also known as shellac, is derived from the secretions of the lac bug. However, the growing demand for plant-based products has led to the development of several vegan alternatives.

Shellac, also known as confectioner’s glaze or E904, is a resin secreted by the female lac bug. This shiny, protective coating is commonly used on hard-shelled candies and certain chocolates, but its insect origin raises questions for those on a vegetarian or vegan diet. The answer to whether shellac in chocolate is vegetarian depends largely on one's personal interpretation of vegetarianism, though it is universally considered non-vegan.

Millions of lac bugs are used to produce the resin known as shellac for many products, including some confections. This makes it crucial to know what candies still use shellac, also known as confectioner's glaze, for those with dietary restrictions or ethical concerns.