Shellac (E904)

[ScottMalaysia]

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.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Scott:

Thanks for pointing this out. I had no idea until now. I'd have to think on it a bit before concluding, like others before us. If the insect isn't killed (like silk) in the process, then is it not in the same category as honey or milk?

I'll browse a bit today to see what others say.

But, yes, for now I eat it.

Aum Namasivaya

[ScottMalaysia]

Here is the link to the Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums site:
http://www.icar.org.in/iinrg/shellac.htm

Also check out Wikipedia's page on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Scott:

Interesting debate here. .. two opposing views. One can see why the Indian government or the industry itself would want to promote it as vegetarian, but I noticed they also had silk in their list as vegetarian which basically makes the whole site suspect. I guess we'd have to be there at the tree to watch the process to determine for ourselves. I use varathane in woodworking and as a sealant for outside benches at the temple, so for that purpose I'd never use it. As for the candy, I'm not really into that either. The most suspected thing for me would be the shine they artificially put on apples. That is, if I did decide it wasn't vegetarian.

Aum Namasivaya

[saidevo]

Home-made coconut toffies called kamarkat are a popular chew of children in Tamilnadu from time immemorial. Here are some links for its recipe:

http://www.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=848980
post dated Jan 12, 2007 by Mrs.Mano
This link has recipes for several Indian food items.

http://www.fewminutewonders.com/2008/08/kamarkat-childhood-delight.html
Here sugar is used instead of jaggery, but jaggery is better and can be used in the same way as described for sugar here.

http://yensamayalarai.blogspot.com/2009/08/kamarkatcoconut-milk-toffee.html
Here condensed milk is added.

The heated jaggery syrup should be at the right padam--state. To find out this, as the heated syrup turns golden brown, pour a drop of it into a tumbler of cold water. If the drop crystalizes into a softball, it is the right state. Another way to find it out is to take a smear of the syrup between the thumb and forefinger after wetting the fingers and when the smear is kneaded it would separate into two threads.