Glazing Agents

Karaya gum (E416)

See thickeners

Beeswax (E901)

Beeswax (E901) is purified from naturally produced honeycomb and provides a surface finish to stop sticky items sticking together and to impart a shine to products or to reduce fruit drying during storage. Beeswax is a soft wax but the shine it imparts doesn’t last so it is used in blends with other harder waxes. Beeswax has a pleasant taste compared to other waxes. It is permitted in the EU quantum satis as a glazing agent in a range of snacks, confectionery and chocolate coated bakery items, dietary supplements and  as a carrier for flavours.

Candelilla wax (E902)

Candelilla wax (E902) is extracted from the leaves of the candelilla plant and was the original wax used to plasticize chewing gum and is also used to impart a shine to confectionery and to coat the surface of fruit to reduce drying on storage. Candelilla wax is soft and easy to apply and blends with oils, and has the best moisture barrier of all the natural waxes. In the EU it is permitted quantum satis as a glazing agent in a range of snacks, confectionery and bakery items, dietary supplements and on the surface of some fresh fruit.

Carnauba wax (E903)

Carnauba wax (E903) is a natural material extracted from the fronds of the Brazilian wax palm and is sued to provide a shine to the surface of small sweets and to coat the surface of fruit to prevent drying on storage. This is the hardest known wax and so is better at maintaining shine through shelf-life but may be blended with softer waxes to ease application. In the EU it is permitted quantum satis as  glazing agent on a range of confectionery and snacks, bakery items, dietary supplements and the surface of some fruits.

Shellac (E904)

Shellac (E904) is purified from a resinous secretion of the Indian scale insect, Laccifer lacca and has been used in food for hundreds of years. It provides a polished surface on confectionery products, stops sticky items from sticking together and reduces moisture loss in stored fruit. Shellac provides a high gloss without the need for pressure and is insoluble in water. Shellac is permitted for use in the EU quantum satis for the surface treatment of fresh fruit and as a glazing agent in confectionery, snacks, chocolate coated bakery items and food supplements.

Microcrystalline wax (E905)

Microcrystalline wax (E905) is a hydrocarbon wax isolated in the petroleum industry that is chemically inert and used as a lubricant for chewing gum and to stop sticky products sticking together. It is only permitted for use in the EU for the surface treatment of chewing gum, confectionery decorations and certain fruit where the skin is inedible.

Hydrogenated poly-1-decene (E907)

Hydrogenated poly-1-decene (E907) is prepared by hydrogenating mixtures of trimers, tetramers, pentamers and hexamers of 1-decene, which is itself may from ethylene. It is used as a glazing agent on dried fruit and sugar confectionery to reduce loss of moisture during storage. This glazing agent is thermally and microbiologically very stable but is only permitted in the EU for glazing dried fruit and sugar confectionery at levels up to 2g/kg.

Oxidised polyethylene wax (E914)

Oxidised polyethylene wax (E914) is prepared by oxidising polyethylene and is used to provide a protective coating to fresh fruit to reduce moisture loss during storage as after washing fruit can lose some of its natural wax and glazing agents. This wax is sprayed on to fruit as a very small droplet sized emulsion. It is permitted in the EU only for use on citrus

Pullalan (E1204)

Pullalan (E1204) is a polysaccharide gum consisting mainly of 1,-6α-linked maltotriose units produced by fermentation of hydrolysed food grade starch by the fungal species Aureobasidium pullalans. It has been used for over 30 years in Japan and is now permitted in the EU in breath freshening microsweets, in supplements and tablets (where it is used an an alternative to gelatine for making capsules) quantum satis.

Basic methacrylate coplayer (E1205), Neutral methacrylate copolymer (E1206), Anionic methacrylate copolymer (E1207)

Basic methacrylate coplayer (E1205), Neutral methacrylate copolymer (E1206), Anionic methacrylate copolymer (E1207) are commercially prepared by chemical polymerisation of the monomers methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate butyl methacrylate and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate in differing proportions, and are used as a glazing or coating agent for solid food supplements to provide moisture protection. They are not absorbed by the GI tract. Their use is limited to food supplements in the EU.

Polyvinylpyrrolidine-vinyl acetate copolymer (E1208) and Polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer (E1209)

Polyvinylpyrrolidine-vinyl acetate copolymer (E1208) and Polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer (E1209) are also both film coatings for food supplements.

PEG polyethylene glycols (E1521)

PEG polyethylene glycols (E1521) are made by polymerisation of ethylene oxide and water. There are 6 PEG compounds of varying molecular weight included in this additive category: PEG 400, 3000, 3350, 4000, 6000 and 8000. The PEGS are used as glazing agents in film coatings for food supplements tablets and capsules and in the EU are permitted for use quantum satis in table top sweeteners in tablet and powder form and to a maximum of 10g/kg in food supplements in capsule and tablet form.