What Is E904 Shellac? A Buyer's Guide

E904, in plain terms

E904 is the EU food additive number for shellac — a natural resin made by the lac insect (Kerria lacca), cultivated mainly across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and adjoining states of eastern India. After the raw lac is cleaned and processed, shellac is used as a glazing agent: a thin, glossy coating that gives food a shiny finish and protects it from moisture.

You'll find it on:

• Chocolates and sugar-panned candies
• Fresh fruit — apples and citrus especially
• Coated nuts and coffee beans
• Tablets, capsules and supplements

Because it comes from a natural source, shellac is widely used in both the food and pharmaceutical industries. Internationally the same substance is listed as INS 904 in the Codex system; on US labels it usually appears as "confectioner's glaze" or "resinous glaze".

Is every shellac food grade? No — and this is where buyers go wrong

Shellac is also sold for furniture polish, wood finishes and industrial coatings. Those grades are not suitable for food, and the difference isn't just a label. Only material meeting the EU's purity criteria — laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — may be used as E904. The regulation defines two permitted forms, wax-containing and wax-free (dewaxed) shellac, with specifications covering acid value, residual wax, loss on drying, and strict limits on heavy metals such as arsenic and lead.

In practice, food and pharma buyers almost always specify dewaxed shellac (wax content below 0.2%): it dissolves cleanly and gives a consistent, haze-free glaze. Our dewaxed shellac page carries the full specification table; standard shellac flakes in orange, blonde and garnet suit polishes, coatings and industrial uses where E904 status isn't required.

The rule of thumb: if you're buying for food manufacturing, make sure the material is explicitly offered as food-grade E904 against Regulation 231/2012 — not just described as "pure" or "premium".

What documents should you ask for?

A reliable supplier should provide, without hesitation:

• Certificate of Analysis (COA) — batch-specific, showing test results against the E904 purity criteria. A generic brochure specification is not a COA.
• E904 compliance declaration — a statement that the material conforms to Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.
• Product specification / technical data sheet — the grade's properties and intended use.
• Safety Data Sheet (SDS/MSDS) — safe handling and storage information.
• Certificate of Origin — for customs clearance and duty preference.
• Where relevant: REACH confirmation and allergen/GMO statements (shellac is naturally free of the major declared allergens and is not genetically modified).

Having this set on file makes your own customer and regulatory audits dramatically easier. We supply the full set with every food-grade shipment.

Labelling points that come up on almost every enquiry

Is shellac vegan? No — it is insect-derived, so products glazed with E904 can typically be labelled vegetarian but not vegan. Halal and kosher? Shellac is widely accepted by major certification bodies, and consignment-specific certificates can be arranged — raise it at the quotation stage so the paperwork matches your certifier's requirements.

Questions to ask your supplier before ordering

• Is this shellac certified as food-grade E904 under Regulation 231/2012?
• Is it dewaxed, and what is the guaranteed maximum wax content?
• Can you provide a recent, batch-specific COA?
• Do you supply the full compliance document set with every shipment?
• Can you hold the same specification consistently, order after order?

A supplier who answers all five quickly and in writing is a supplier you can build a supply chain on. If any answer is vague — keep looking.