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E912Glazing agentLow concern
Montan Acid Esters
In plain words
The short version
Hard wax esters used to shine and seal the skin of fresh citrus and other fruit.
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 profile
In 2013 EFSA concluded that montan acid esters could not be evaluated as a food additive, because toxicity data were missing or limited and no usage data were submitted.
The detail
Esters of montan wax acids, derived from lignite (brown coal).
A surface coating giving shine and a moisture barrier on fresh citrus and some other fruit (applied to the peel).
Hard wax esters.
No longer permitted in the EU: it was removed from the list of approved food additives in 2014 (Regulation (EU) No 957/2014). In the US it may be used as a component of coatings on fresh citrus fruit (21 CFR 172.210).
Sources
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 957/2014 — removal of montan acid esters (E 912) from the Union list — Publications Office of the European Union (OJ L 270, 11.9.2014), 2014. E 912 removed from EU list of approved additives; EFSA could not evaluate it
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II Part B, consolidated text of 18 August 2026 — E 912 entry deleted — Publications Office of the European Union, 2026. E 912 still absent from the current EU list (deletion marker M45 = Reg. 957/2014)
- 21 CFR 172.210 — Coatings on fresh citrus fruit, eCFR text as of 2026-10-13 — US eCFR / FDA, 2026. Permitted in the US with limits (component of citrus coatings)
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.