Beeswax
What it does
Glazing/coating.
How it's made
Secreted by honeybees.
Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honeybees, used as a glazing agent to give a shiny coating to sweets and chocolates, as a surface treatment for fruit, and as a carrier for flavours. It provides gloss and a moisture barrier.
It is obtained from the honeycomb. After honey is extracted, the wax combs are melted in hot water, and the wax — being lighter than water and immiscible with it — floats to the top, where it is skimmed off. This crude wax is then filtered and purified, and may be bleached to lighten its colour, giving either yellow or white beeswax.
The purified wax is standardised for food use. As an animal-derived product it is not suitable for vegans, and it is used in small amounts purely for its glazing and protective properties, providing a natural alternative to synthetic coating agents.
Possible reactions
Not vegan; generally safe.