Get the brief

Is it vegan?

Last reviewed July 10, 2026

Shellac and confectioner's glaze (E904)

That mirror shine on candy is bug resin. Shellac, confectioner's glaze, resinous glaze, E904: a secretion of the lac insect.

Where it hides

  • Shiny chocolate and jelly beans
  • Candy-coated sweets and sprinkles
  • Waxed apples and citrus
  • Coated pills and supplements

What it is

Shellac is a resin the female lac insect secretes onto tree branches in parts of India and Thailand. Harvested and purified, it becomes the food glaze listed as confectioner's glaze, resinous glaze, natural glaze or E904, and it gives sweets and pills that hard, glossy shell. The raw resin is scraped off along with the insects, so both the source and the process are animal, which keeps it off a vegan plate.

Where it hides

Look for it anywhere a small food looks lacquered: the sheen on jelly beans and chocolate lentils, the gloss on sprinkles, the wax on some apples and citrus, and the coating on many tablets and capsules. The tell is a word like glaze or shine on the label, or simply a finish that looks too polished to be sugar alone.

  • Carmine and cochineal (E120) That bright natural red in the yogurt or the candy is often crushed insects. Carmine, cochineal extract, Natural Red 4, E120: all the same animal dye.
  • Honey Honey is made by bees, and bees are animals, so honey is not vegan. Maple syrup, agave and date syrup are the usual swaps.

Frequently asked

Is confectioner's glaze the same as shellac?

Yes. Confectioner's glaze, resinous glaze, natural glaze and E904 are all names for shellac, the resin from the lac insect. None of them are vegan.

Why are some apples not vegan?

Some apples and citrus are coated with a shellac-based wax to look glossy and last longer. Unwaxed or organic fruit avoids it, and a quick rinse does not remove it, so the coating is the thing to check.

The sources

What each verdict rests on. Read them yourself.

Read the label with us, every morning.

The same clear-eyed sourcing behind these verdicts, applied to each day’s news: what actually moved veganism forward, quoted and checked before you read it. One short brief, free.

Free, every morning. No guilt. No preaching.