E901 - white and yellow beeswax

At a glance

• What it is: Natural wax from honeycombs, refined to yellow (cera flava) or white (cera alba).
• What it does: Adds gloss, protects surfaces, reduces moisture loss, and prevents sticking.
• Where it’s found: Coated fresh fruits, chocolate and sugar confections, chewing gum, coated nuts, and tablets.
• Dietary notes: Animal-derived (from bees); not suitable for vegans.
• Labels: Listed as “beeswax,” “white beeswax,” “yellow beeswax,” or “E901” in the EU.

Why is white and yellow beeswax added to food?

Beeswax is used as a glazing and surface-finishing agent to give foods a smooth, shiny look and to keep them from sticking to each other or to equipment. It also forms a thin barrier that helps slow moisture loss, which can help fruits and confections keep their quality a bit longer.¹ On fresh produce, a light wax coating replaces the fruit’s natural wax that can be lost during washing and handling.²

What foods contain white and yellow beeswax?

You’ll most often see E901 on:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables with a glossy surface (for example, many citrus fruits and cucumbers)²
• Chocolate dragées, jelly beans, gummies, and other shiny confections¹
• Chewing gum and coated nuts¹
• Food supplements and some tablets, where it serves as a polish or protective coat¹

What can replace white and yellow beeswax?

Common substitutes include plant and mineral waxes:

• Carnauba wax — very hard, high-gloss plant wax from palm leaves.
• Candelilla wax — plant-based and harder than beeswax.
• Shellac — resin from the lac insect; gives strong shine but is not vegan.
• Microcrystalline wax — petroleum-derived; used in some coatings.
  Food makers choose among these based on gloss, hardness, melting point, flavor neutrality, and whether a vegan option is needed.

How is white and yellow beeswax made?

Beekeepers collect honeycomb, then melt, filter, and refine the wax. “Yellow beeswax” is the cleaned, natural product. “White beeswax” is yellow beeswax that has been further bleached and decolorized, typically with controlled physical methods or food-grade oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, to meet purity and color standards set by regulators.³ Beeswax is a complex mix of long‑chain esters, hydrocarbons, and other natural components, which explains its firm texture and shine‑enhancing properties.¹

Is white and yellow beeswax safe to eat?

Regulators in the European Union (EU) authorize beeswax as food additive E901 and set detailed purity specifications.³ The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed the data and found no safety concern at the reported uses and exposure levels.¹ The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) assigned an “acceptable daily intake (ADI) not specified,” which is used for additives considered safe at the amounts needed for good manufacturing practice.⁴ Wax coatings on produce are also recognized by U.S. authorities as safe and useful for quality maintenance when properly applied.²

Does white and yellow beeswax have any benefits?

For consumers, beeswax mainly offers quality benefits:

• Helps keep fruits from shriveling by slowing water loss²
• Keeps candies glossy and less sticky, improving their look and handling¹
• Protects coated tablets and supplements from scuffing during transport¹
  It does not add meaningful calories or nutrients at the tiny levels used.

Who should avoid white and yellow beeswax?

• Vegans and anyone avoiding animal-derived ingredients.
• People who prefer to avoid bee products (for personal, ethical, or rare sensitivity reasons).
  If you have concerns about bee-product sensitivities, discuss them with a healthcare professional.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “E-numbers are always synthetic.”
  Fact: E-numbers are simply EU codes for approved additives; beeswax (E901) is natural.
• Myth: “Wax on fruit is unsafe.”
  Fact: Edible wax coatings are regulated and applied in tiny amounts to help keep produce fresh.²
• Myth: “Beeswax and paraffin are the same.”
  Fact: Beeswax is produced by bees; paraffin and microcrystalline waxes are petroleum-derived.

white and yellow beeswax in branded foods

You may spot beeswax on ingredient lists for jelly beans and other shiny candies, chocolate-coated pieces, chewing gum, and some coated nuts. It also appears on many glossy fresh fruits (like citrus) and on the polish coats of certain supplement tablets. In the EU it may be listed as “E901,” while in the U.S. it appears as “beeswax” or “white/yellow beeswax” on labels.

References

Footnotes

1. Re-evaluation of beeswax (E 901) as a food additive — EFSA Journal. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2603 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. Why Do They Put Wax on Your Fruits and Vegetables? — USDA. https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2010/12/08/why-do-they-put-wax-your-fruits-and-vegetables ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — EU specifications for food additives. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩ ↩²

4. Beeswax (white and yellow): toxicological evaluation — JECFA/WHO. https://inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v05je01.htm ↩