Shellac E904

Shellac (E904) is a natural resinous substance obtained from the excretions of the lacquer scale insects and used as a coating in food.

 

Extraction 

The lacquer scale insects feed on the plant sap of certain trees on which they live, for example the poplar figs. The lacquer scale insects pierce the tree, absorb its sap and excrete this substance, which serves as a protective sac for the aphids to grow. After some time, after the lice drill out of this resin bubble, the resin deposit remains and is scraped off the branches and twigs. This is washed, ground and dried in the sun.

Usage 

In the food industry, shellac is often used as a coating for confectionery, chocolate, coffee beans, nuts and some dietary supplements.
Furthermore, fruits such as fresh citrus fruits, apples, pears and melons can be treated with shellac to retain moisture. Fruit treated with shellac must be marked as "waxed".

 

Is Shellac Halal?

The additive is evaluated differently by scholars. Those who regard its consumption as lawful assume that the production of shellac is a kind of transformation with the help of an insect and make an analogy with honey production by bees. Because even with honey, the nectar is converted into honey by the bee. The Egyptian Al-Azhar University and the certification bodies MUI (Indonesia) and JAKIM (Malaysia) classify the consumption of shellac as halal. The Diyanet Fatawa Council considers shellac to be safe as long as consumption does not cause adverse health effects. The scholar Nureddin Yildiz also explains that there is a permit for shellac since the insect itself is not used here, but he recommends avoiding this additive.

It is said that some scholars consider the consumption of shellac to be forbidden, but we are not aware of any position on this.

In addition, shellac can be dissolved in ethanol, which is also rated differently (see topic "Alcohol in the aroma").