INS 904 is shellac, a natural glazing resin secreted by the female lac insect (Kerria lacca) on tree branches in India and Thailand. On food it is used as a thin, glossy coating that gives candies, chocolates, and apples a polished shine and also seals in moisture. It is animal-origin but FSS Labelling Regulations carve it out so it does not on its own require the brown non-vegetarian dot (along with beeswax, carnauba wax, milk products, and honey) and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories.
Quick Facts
INS Number
904
E-Number
E904
Category
Glazing Agent
Veg Status
Animal-derived
FSSAI Status
Permitted by FSSAI
JECFA ADI
Not specified (1993)
Composition
Not a single compound. Shellac is a natural resin secreted by the female lac insect (Kerria lacca, also known as Laccifer lacca, Coccidae family) on host trees in India and Thailand. The crude resin is collected, melted, filtered, and either bleached or used as is. It is a complex mixture of polyhydroxy polycarboxylic esters and other natural polymers.
What is INS 904?
INS 904 is shellac, a natural glazing resin secreted by the female lac insect (Kerria lacca) on tree branches in India and Thailand. On food it is used as a thin, glossy coating that gives candies, chocolates, and apples a polished shine and also seals in moisture.
Why brands add it
Brands use it because a thin layer turns boiled sweets, sugar-coated nuts, and pan-drop confections glossy without any sticky aftertaste. It also keeps coated tablets and chocolates from absorbing moisture in humid Indian conditions. The same resin is the base of furniture polish.
Where you'll find it
INS 904 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
boiled sweets and sugar-coated confections
chocolate-coated nuts and panned chocolates
fruit-coating wax (apples, citrus)
pharmaceutical sugar coatings
chewing gum
Veg or non-veg? - Animal-derived
Shellac comes from the lac insect (Kerria lacca). The resin is harvested by scraping it from tree branches where the insects have built it up; the process kills or excludes the insects. Under FSS Packaging and Labelling Regulations 2011 / 2020, products that contain only shellac, beeswax, carnauba wax, milk products, or honey as their animal-source ingredient are NOT required to carry the brown non-vegetarian dot; they may carry the green vegetarian dot. The biological origin is still insect-derived, so Jain, ISKCON, ahimsa-following, and vegan readers may still choose to avoid products listing shellac, INS 904, or E904.
FSSAI status and JECFA evaluation
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI as a glazing agent under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 for specified food categories. Per FSS Packaging and Labelling Regulations 2011, shellac is one of the carve-out ingredients (with beeswax, carnauba wax, milk products, and honey) that does not on its own require the brown non-vegetarian dot on the finished product.
JECFA: JECFA evaluated shellac in 1992-1993 and was unable to allocate an ADI due to limited toxicological data. EFSA's 2024 re-evaluation derived an ADI of 4 mg/kg body weight per day (provisional) for chemically-bleached wax-free shellac, based on a 90-day rat NOAEL of 400 mg/kg bw and a 100-fold safety factor.
Also known as
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 904 is also called:
Animal-derived. Shellac comes from the lac insect (Kerria lacca). The resin is harvested by scraping it from tree branches where the insects have built it up; the process kills or excludes the insects. Under FSS Packaging and Labelling Regulations 2011 / 2020, products that contain only shellac, beeswax, carnauba wax, milk products, or honey as their animal-source ingredient are NOT required to carry the brown non-vegetarian dot; they may carry the green vegetarian dot. The biological origin is still insect-derived, so Jain, ISKCON, ahimsa-following, and vegan readers may still choose to avoid products listing shellac, INS 904, or E904.
Is INS 904 permitted by FSSAI?+
Permitted by FSSAI as a glazing agent under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 for specified food categories. Per FSS Packaging and Labelling Regulations 2011, shellac is one of the carve-out ingredients (with beeswax, carnauba wax, milk products, and honey) that does not on its own require the brown non-vegetarian dot on the finished product.
What is INS 904 used for?+
Brands use it because a thin layer turns boiled sweets, sugar-coated nuts, and pan-drop confections glossy without any sticky aftertaste. It also keeps coated tablets and chocolates from absorbing moisture in humid Indian conditions. The same resin is the base of furniture polish.
Is INS 904 (also written as E904) the same thing?+
Yes. INS 904 (the Codex International Numbering System used by FSSAI) and E904 (the European E-number system) refer to the same compound. The digits are identical for almost all common additives. Indian packets may show either form, or the common name (shellac).
This page summarises FSSAI's permission status and JECFA's scientific evaluation. It is not medical or dietary advice. Manufacturer ingredient sourcing can vary, especially for source-dependent additives - the Indian veg/non-veg dot logo on the pack is the brand's declaration. For health decisions, consult a doctor or registered dietitian.
Got a full packet to check?
This page covers INS 904 one additive at a time. To check a full packet's ingredient list against the same FSSAI / JECFA / EFSA-cited dataset, use the Indian Food Ingredient Checker - paste the whole list and get a per-item verdict plus a composite tone (clear / watch / flag / incomplete).