# Glazing agents explained

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## Summary

The glazing agents behind shiny sweets, from beeswax E901 and carnauba E903 to shellac E904 and lanolin E913: where each comes from, and which are vegan.

## Description

A glazing agent is a natural or synthetic substance that gives a waxy, even coating, protecting a surface and helping to stop water loss. On sweets, it adds shine and helps stop them drying out. It is listed in the ingredients as glazing agent, followed by its name or E number: see what is glazing agent in sweets?
The main glazing agents
Wikipedia lists these among natural glazing agents. Not all are used on sweets, so check the label of the sweet in front of you.
| E number | Name | Where it comes from | |---|---|---| | E570 | Stearic acid | Animal and vegetable fats | | E901 | Beeswax | Honey bees | | E902 | Candelilla wax | Leaves of a shrub from northern Mexico and the south west United States | | E903 | Carnauba wax | Leaves of a Brazilian palm | | E904 | Shellac | A resin produced by the lac insect | | E905c | Microcrystalline wax | Refined from petroleum | | E913 | Lanolin | Wool grease from sheep |
Zein, a protein from maize, is also used as a coating.
What they mean for your diet
Vegan friendly. Carnauba wax and candelilla wax come from plants: see what is carnauba wax on sweets?Not vegan. Beeswax comes from bees, shellac from insects and lanolin from sheep's wool: see what is beeswax on sweets? and what is shellac on sweets?Vegetarian. Vegetarianism accepts products from living animals, so beeswax can suit vegetarians, but the Vegetarian Society's trademark rules out shellac: see a guide to vegetarian sweetsCheck the source. Stearic acid can come from animal or vegetable fats, so the label name alone may not tell you which.
Confectioner's glaze
Confectioner's glaze is another name for resinous glaze: an alcohol based solution of food grade shellac. The shellac comes from sticklac, a resin scraped from branches where the lac insect has made a hard, waterproof cocoon. It is also sold as pure food glaze, natural glaze or confectioner's resin, so those names mean shellac too.
Controversy
Carnauba wax has its own story: in 2017 a German television investigation linked the wax used by Haribo to poor working conditions on Brazilian plantations: see what is carnauba wax on sweets?
Jelly beans typically include an edible wax such as carnauba wax or beeswax, and confectioner's glaze. Our gourmet jelly beans have a sweet card that shows their full ingredients, including the glaze, before you buy.

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