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E904Glazing agentLow concern

Shellac

In plain words

The short version

A resin secreted by the lac insect, used to polish coated confectionery — non-vegan.

Why it's green

It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.

Safety

Safety profile

JECFA (1992) found its uses as a coating, glazing and surface-finishing agent applied externally to food not of toxicological concern. In 2024 EFSA set an ADI of 4 mg/kg body weight per day for wax-free shellac made by physical decolouring (temporary for shellac made by chemical bleaching) and concluded that the small exceedance of this ADI estimated for high consumers in some age groups does not indicate a safety concern. A rat study found very low absorption of 'shellac monomer', one of its components. EFSA notes that no food allergic reactions to shellac have been reported despite its long use as a food additive and considers the likelihood of food allergic responses low; contact dermatitis from shellac-containing cosmetics has been reported.

The detail

Sources

  1. EFSA FAF Panel — Re-evaluation of shellac (E 904) as a food additive and a new application on the extension of use of shellac (E 904) in dietary foods for special medical purposes, EFSA Journal 22(8):e8897 (2024), doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8897 — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 2024. ADI 4 mg/kg bw/day; absorption; allergy
  2. JECFA evaluation summary — Shellac, bleached (INS 904), ADI 'acceptable' (1992) — WHO/IPCS INCHEM (JECFA), 1992. JECFA: uses as coating not of toxicological concern
  3. Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/189 of 28 January 2026 — use of shellac (E 904) in foods for special medical purposes (tablet and coated tablet forms) and amended specifications — EUR-Lex (European Union), 2026. EU authorisation update and wax-free specification
  4. FDA Substances Added to Food inventory — Shellac, purified — US Food and Drug Administration. US listing as confectioner's glaze / surface-finishing agent

Checked against these sources on .

Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.