What is shellac? Is it vegetarian? I know it is on the outside of things like Smarties to make them shiny.
2007-03-03 22:02:51 · 4 answers · asked by Helena 6 in Food & Drink ➔ Vegetarian & Vegan
Shellac is a brittle or flaky secretion of the lac insect Coccus lacca, found in the forests of Assam and Thailand. Freed from wood it is called "seedlac." Once it was commonly believed that shellac was a resin obtained from the wings of an insect (order Hemiptera) found in India. In actuality, shellac was obtained from the secretion of the female insect, harvested from the bark of the trees where she deposits it to provide a sticky hold on the trunk. There is a risk that the harvesting process can scoop the insect up along with the secretion, leading to its death.
When purified, the chemical takes the form of yellow/ brown pellets, this possibly providing the basis for the "Wing Source Story." Shellac is a natural polymer and is chemically similar to synthetic polymers, thus it is considered a natural plastic. It can be molded by heat and pressure methods, so it is classified as thermoplastic.
When dissolved in alcohol, typically blends containing ethanol and methanol, shellac yields a coating of superior durability and hardness and is available in numerous grades. It is used in the traditional "French polish" method of finishing furniture, and fine viols and guitars.
Shellac is edible, and it was used as a glazing agent on pills and candies. When used for this purpose, it has the food additive E number E904. This coating may not be vegetarian as it may contain crushed insects, and is not vegan in any case. In the tablet manufacture trade, it is sometimes referred to as "beetlejuice" for this reason. Shellac is known to cause allergies on contact, resulting in skin irritations.
2007-03-03 22:36:37 · answer #1 · answered by bubbyroller2000 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Shellac is an insect secretion, so technically it's not suitable for vegetarians,its also used in lacquer
2007-03-03 22:13:44 · answer #2 · answered by mia 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
also on other pills like vitamins...and talc as fillers...
shellac is the clear finish that they put on furniture instead of paint...small amounts might not be bad, but over time could this contribute to cancer rates?... and the talc...talc has asbestos in it...which can cause cancer..
2007-03-03 22:51:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
what's that? in what language???? never heard something like that!! it sounds more like a children's language...
2007-03-04 07:05:06 · answer #4 · answered by hazilim 1 · 0⤊ 7⤋