Tasty and sweet while eating candy glossy surfaces Have you ever thought about what’s behind that?

If your answer is no, you are faced with a fact that will surprise you. This is small secretions of insects, It has become part of our lives…

This amber-colored substance is a natural resin obtained from insects.

Resin has a history dating back 3000 years in India, originally in jewelry making and in decorating palaces was used.

Nowadays, from sweets to fruits, from wood polishing to to the pharmacy It is used in a wide range. The Coccus lacca bug is so small that it can hardly be seen with the naked eye.

In June, farmers place the mother bugs on new tree branches. Babies suck the sap from the tree Females secrete an amber-colored resin. The resin hardens on contact with air and becomes valuable shellac.

To carry out this process, farmers collect insects and their resin from trees using a special knife called a “daoli”.

Today the global shellac industry is worth $167 million, more than half of which It comes from India.

Shellac is used as a glossy coating in foods and medicines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes shellac as a food-safe additive. In our country it is widely used with the code E904. We can see it behind the candy.

In short, almost all sweets, fruits, cakes and nuts We see it in their products. As we said, no risk was found. Still, it is up to you whether or not you consume it.

Shellac also extends the shelf life of foods and makes them look more appealing.

From candies to lemons, From medicines to furniture polish Shellac, which is used in many areas, is the source of livelihood for thousands of people in India.

But challenges such as climate change and price volatility threaten this age-old industry. Extreme precipitation and temperature increases, It makes the production of shellac difficult.

So you Meaning of code E904 did you know?

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