Beeswax
E901
E901, INS 901, beeswax, bee wax, white beeswax, yellow beeswax, white wax, yellow wax
What it is
A wax produced by honeybees and used on the surface of foods as a glazing and protective coating.
Why BOTIA flags it
Beeswax coats the surface of foods to give them shine and protect them — it is what makes apples and gummies gleam. It is barely digested and passes through the body almost intact. Its animal origin matters to people who eat vegan, and on fresh fruit it does not appear in an ingredient list because the fruit does not carry one.
BOTIA CAN
- Identify E901, INS 901, beeswax and common white or yellow beeswax declarations.
- Explain that it is a bee-derived glazing coating and show the animal-origin, texture and E-number layers.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine how much beeswax is present or how thick the coating is from a standard ingredient list.
- Determine from an unlabelled piece of fresh fruit whether beeswax or another glazing treatment was used.