Shellac Exporter to the USA — Buyer & Import Guide
US confectioners, supplement brands, pharma manufacturers, coating houses and wood-finish suppliers all buy shellac — under different names, grades and paperwork. Here is how to match the grade to the use, what US rules apply, and how to run an RFQ with an Indian supplier.
One resin, many trade names
In the US, shellac is sold as confectioner's glaze, candy glaze, pharmaceutical glaze, resinous glaze and purified shellac. The resin is the same insect-derived material (CAS 9000-59-3). What changes is the grade, the solvent system, and the regulatory file the buyer must hold. Confectioner's glaze in a plant is usually an alcohol solution of food-grade shellac; buy flake or powder if you cut in-house, or a finished cut if you want a ready coating.
Match the use to the grade before you quote or sample
| Wood finishing, polish, ink, industrial | Orange, blonde or garnet flake, button lac or seedlac — natural wax is fine. Do not call it food or USP grade. |
| Candy & confectionery glaze | Dewaxed bleached flake (wax ≤ 0.2%), rosin absent, heavy-metal limits on the COA. |
| Chocolate panning & dragées | Dewaxed bleached; clear, low-haze film and consistent acid value. |
| Fresh produce coating | Food-grade shellac in alcohol or aqueous ammonia; produce-coating label rules apply. |
| Pharma & supplement coating | The named USP-NF type, checked against the FDA Inactive Ingredient Database for the dosage form. |
| Food-contact packaging coatings | Purified shellac with a compliance letter citing the relevant 21 CFR 175 section. |
The US regulatory map
Direct food use. Purified shellac appears in FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory. Finished candy labels usually read "shellac", "confectioner's glaze" or "resinous glaze". Shellac is not a numbered GRAS listing in 21 CFR 184 — so treat any regulatory letter that cites a 21 CFR 184 section for shellac as a red flag, and ask for one that cites the listings that actually exist.
Food-contact materials. FDA's inventory lists purified shellac in 21 CFR 175.105 (adhesives), 175.300 (resinous and polymeric coatings), 175.380 and 175.390, and in 21 CFR 73.1 as a diluent in colour-additive mixtures, such as inks for marking tablets, gum and confectionery. Ask for a letter tied to the exact grade, not a generic "FDA approved" stamp.
Fresh produce. When shellac coats produce for retail sale, US labelling rules require a declaration that the produce is coated with a food-grade animal-based wax or resin. Shellac is insect-derived — never describe it as a plant wax.
Pharma and supplements. USP–NF recognises four types of shellac. Wax and loss-on-drying limits are the quickest way to tell them apart:
| Orange shellac | Wax NMT 5.5% · Loss on drying NMT 2.0% |
| Refined orange (dewaxed) | Wax NMT 0.2% · Loss on drying NMT 2.0% |
| Regular bleached | Wax NMT 5.5% · Loss on drying NMT 6.0% |
| Refined bleached (dewaxed) | Wax NMT 0.2% · Loss on drying NMT 6.0% |
Acid value and other limits differ by type — always check the current USP-NF monograph. Supplement brands often dual-specify food grade plus USP-NF even when the product is not a drug.
Import rules that decide whether the shipment clears
- FDA Food Facility Registration. A foreign facility that manufactures or processes food-grade shellac for the US must be registered with FDA. Confirm the refiner's registration before quoting food grade.
- FSVP. The US importer of a food ingredient must run a Foreign Supplier Verification Program. Expect a supplier questionnaire and document requests.
- Prior Notice. Required for shipments of food, including food-grade shellac. It does not apply to food-contact substances, and industrial grades fall outside it entirely.
- Customs entry. ISF (10+2) for ocean freight, a commercial invoice with an accurate description (for example, "dewaxed bleached shellac, food grade" — never "varnish resin" for food material), packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin and SDS. The shellac tariff line is generally HTS 1301.90 — confirm with your broker.
- Tariffs. US tariff treatment of Indian goods changed several times in 2025–26. Check the rate that applies on your shipment date with your customs broker before you calculate landed cost.
Documents US quality teams file
Food and confectionery: batch COA (acid value, wax, loss on drying, rosin, lead and arsenic, identification), specification/TDS stating grade and intended use, a regulatory statement, SDS in OSHA/GHS format, certificate of origin with lot traceability, allergen and GMO statements, California Proposition 65 statement, and Kosher/Halal if the brand requires it.
Pharma and supplements, in addition: a USP-NF COA stating which of the four types the lot is, microbiological results, residual solvents (ICH Q3C) where relevant, a TSE/BSE statement, and change-control terms for the quality agreement.
Wood finishing and industrial: COA, TDS, SDS and certificate of origin are normally enough.
The RFQ-to-sample process that wins US accounts
US buyers rarely award on price alone. They qualify the RFQ, test a sample, then run a trial.
- 1. Qualify the RFQ. Application, form (flake, powder or cut), wax limit, colour target, annual volume, destination port, and whether food grade or USP-NF is required. Never send industrial flake against a confectionery RFQ.
- 2. Send a complete offer. Grade name, specification table, a recent representative COA marked "typical", SDS, origin, pack size (25 kg bags or fibre drums), lead time and MOQ. Price basis: FOB Kolkata, or CFR/CIF to New York–New Jersey, Savannah, Houston or Los Angeles–Long Beach.
- 3. Ship a lot-matched sample. Typically 200–500 g of flake, labelled with the same lot number as the COA, with a short use note on solids, solvent and storage. Keep a retained sample of that lot for 12 months.
- 4. Agree the trial criteria in writing. Gloss, blocking and haze for confectionery; film integrity and release for tablets; colour, build and clarity for wood finishes.
- 5. Lock the specification. The first bulk lot should match the approved sample — same grade and process, not a "similar" colour from a different crop.
Storage matters at every step: keep shellac cool and dry, because heat makes it block and age. See our guide on why shellac blocks in storage.
What we supply to US buyers
Our strongest fit for US buyers today is wood finishing and industrial use: shellac flakes in orange, blonde and garnet, handmade button lac, and seedlac for further processing — each with a batch COA. We also supply lac dye to natural-dye suppliers and fibre artists, and aleuritic acid to fragrance, specialty-chemical and polymer-research buyers. For food-glaze or USP-NF enquiries, state the grade and the document pack you need when you request a quote, and we will confirm what can be supplied and documented before we price it.
Quick answers
Is confectioner's glaze vegan? No. Confectioner's glaze is shellac, which is insect-derived. Vegan products usually switch to carnauba wax, zein or other plant-based films.
Can EU E904 paperwork be used for the US? Only as supporting purity data. It does not replace the FDA listings, the USP-NF monograph if you claim it, or US import requirements such as facility registration, FSVP and Prior Notice for food shipments. See our Germany market page and E904 buyer's guide for the EU side.
Food grade or USP-NF shellac — which should I buy? For candy glaze and fruit coating, food-grade dewaxed bleached shellac is standard. For tablets and many supplements, buy the named USP-NF type. For wood finishing and industrial use, standard orange or blonde flakes are appropriate.
This guide summarises publicly available FDA, USP-NF and US import practice as of September 2026. Verify the current regulations, tariff rates and your own quality agreement before ordering. It is not legal advice.
Sourcing Shellac for the US?
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