INTRODUCTION OF FOOD GRADE SHELLAC
The food grade shellac is an excellent overlay that enhances the product’s appearance, provides
protection from moisture, extend the shelf-life, mask disgusting odors and delivers a firm finishing
film for the pre-print coatings. In case of medicines, it supports in swallowing the bitter tablets.
The food grade shellac is known to people as ‘pure food glaze,’ ‘confectioner’s gaze,’ ‘confectioner’s
resin,’ ‘natural glaze,’ and ‘resinous glaze,’ when applied in food and confections. The US FDA has
labeled the food grade shellac as ‘generally recognized as safe’ (GRAS). It is used widely as a glaze on
multiple food items like fruits, chewing gum, candy, coffee beans, etc.
As the pharmaceutical glaze, the food grade shellac is used as the enteric coating for capsules and
tablets by the drug and the nutritional supplement industry.
MAKING PROCEDURE OF THE FOOD GRADE SHELLAC
The food grade shellac is usually derived from the typical raw material known as ‘sticklac’, a resin raked from the tree branches where the LacciferLacca or Kerria Lacca (a tiny insect) generates hard and water resistant cocoon. It is imperatively the insect version of castoreum. After heating of the cocoon-like secretions until the liquification, it’s strained and cooled in thin sheets. Then, it is reconstructed with denatured alcohol. Various types of food-grade shellac arrive from pharmaceutical glaze which is an alcohol-based solution.
The food grade shellac coating is insoluble in stomach acid. Thus, it can make the tablet or capsule hard for the body to assimilate or break down. So, it may be used as a constituent in sustained, time-released or delayed-action pills.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF FOOD GRADE SHELLAC
The edible food grade shellac is utilized as a glazing agent on sweets and pills in the form of confectioner’s glaze or pharmaceutical glaze. Due to the acidic properties, the shellac-coated tablets are used for time enteric or colonic release. The pharmaceutical glaze contains approximately 20-51% shellac in solution in grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol that has not been denatured. Besides, it also involves titanium dioxide(opacifying agent) and waxes.
The confectioner’s glaze that is used for candy carries approximately 35% shellac. The remaining elements are volatile organic compounds that volatilize after the application of the glaze.
The food labels show the name as follows:
Confectioner’s Resin
Confectioner’s Glaze
Candy Glaze
Resinous Glaze
Natural Glaze
Pure Food Glaze
What are the principal uses of Shellac in food and confectionery industry?
Shellac is primarily used for coating chocolate goods like candy-covered raisins and nuts. Besides, it is also applied as a covering on certain nutritional supplements and coffee beans.
The Lac Dye is vastly used in carbonated drinks, chewing gum, juice drinks, wine, candy, sauce, frozen foods, and jam. Lac Dye is red like Carmine.
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- Characteristics of Food-Grade Shellac:
- Wax-free
- Lower Viscosity
- Higher Solid Application
- Quick uniform drying
- Top quality color retention
- Extended appearance
- Improved clarity
- Superb finish
- Preserve the taste for the extended term
- Improve the shelf-life of the food, beverages and confectioneries
- Characteristics of Food-Grade Shellac:
- A note on Chocolate Processes:
For the confectionery products, Shellac is used as a glaze, especially for the dragees and panwork. The application of Shellac in chocolate panning can be elucidated under “Chocolate Processes”.
Important Notification
Shellac for the use in confectionery products must be guaranteed food grade and also procured from an organization that is specialized in edible lac manufacturing. The food- grade Shellac has to meet the U.S. Pure Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Further, the arsenic content in it must be less than 1.4 ppm and mandatorily eosin-free. There are strict regulations administered over the solvent exist in most of the countries. Few countries don’t even allow the presence of isopropyl alcohol. As per the U.S. regulations, the solvent must be denatured alcohol 35A. 100 parts of ethyl alcohol are denatured in it along with 4.25 parts of ethyl acetate by volume. Again, the glazes (less than 28.8 % solids) should be henceforth denatured by 5% acetone addition by volume.
Sweetest Bond- Shellac with Confectionery
The regular confectionery glaze that is made from the food-grade bleached shellac consists of 5% natural wax. The appearance of the solution is opaque raking in a transparent film. The wax content bestows for a more flexible film. During the time of processing confectionery pieces, it builds up well. It is custom-made for the porous surfaces.
Confectionery glaze that is free of wax (bleached) is less viscous. It can be efficiently used in higher concentrations. The dry film appears very clear. The food and confectionery industry uses the wax-free shellac as an overlay on the wax coatings.
The orange confectionery glaze is manufactured from the orange flake shellac. It can be used in a couple of situations:
- Where the color is not important
- Where the color ‘orange’ has a vital role to play
DM Shellac is the eminent shellac manufacturing and distributing house catering to the extensive chain of clientele dealing with confectionery and food business all over India. Call us for your shellac requirement.
