ScottMalaysia
09 May 2010, 03:51 AM
Do those of you who are vegetarian eat products containing shellac? It is a resin secreted by the female lac bug onto trees. It is used as a glazing agent on sweets such as skittles and chocolate almonds and has the E number E904. The website Food-info.net says the following about shellac:
E904 [shellac] can be used by all religious groups and vegetarians. Vegans generally avoid the product as there are still lice in the raw product. These are eliminated during purification.
I also read the following on Wikipedia "[Shellac] is not vegan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan) and most likely not vegetarian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian) either as it may, and probably does, contain crushed insects."
However, I read that one Vegetarian Society approved shellac as vegetarian. The Indian Institue of Natural Resins and Gums stated "lac and shellac are vegetarian as both donot contain any part of living insect body."
So would you eat Shellac or not? I bought my mother some chocolate almonds for Mother's Day and ate some of them. I'd like to know if vegetarian Hindus generally consider Shellac to be acceptable.
E904 [shellac] can be used by all religious groups and vegetarians. Vegans generally avoid the product as there are still lice in the raw product. These are eliminated during purification.
I also read the following on Wikipedia "[Shellac] is not vegan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan) and most likely not vegetarian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian) either as it may, and probably does, contain crushed insects."
However, I read that one Vegetarian Society approved shellac as vegetarian. The Indian Institue of Natural Resins and Gums stated "lac and shellac are vegetarian as both donot contain any part of living insect body."
So would you eat Shellac or not? I bought my mother some chocolate almonds for Mother's Day and ate some of them. I'd like to know if vegetarian Hindus generally consider Shellac to be acceptable.