Food additive databasegum base, glazing agentChecked 2026-10-02
Bees Wax ミツロウ
Existing food additivePermitted in the EU (E901)
- Purpose
- gum base, glazing agent
- On the label
- “光沢剤（一括名）” (glazing agent (group name)), “ガムベース（一括名）” (gum base (group name)), “ミツロウ” (beeswax), “オウロウ” (yellow wax), “ビースワックス” (beeswax), “ベースワックス” (base wax)
- Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
- ミツロウ (No. 286)
- Source and production
- Obtained from the nests of honeybees (Apis spp.). The main component is myricyl palmitate (definition in the specifications and standards).
In Japan
- A wax obtained from honeybee nests, used as a glazing agent that gives food surfaces a shine and as the base of chewing gum (gum base). There are no standards for use.
- If used for glazing or as a gum base, it can be written under the group names “光沢剤” (glazing agent) or “ガムベース” (gum base), respectively. When written by substance name, the alternative names are “オウロウ” (yellow wax), “ビースワックス” (beeswax), and “ベースワックス” (base wax).
Japan's standards for use
There are no standards for use that limit which foods or how much (the general standards for all additives still apply).
This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.
In the EU
- It is on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II) as E901.
Sources
- List of Existing Food Additives — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- Standards for use and storage of each additive — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- EU food additive database (Japanese translation) — MAFF (Japanese)
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — EUR-Lex
- 日本食品化学研究振興財団「既存添加物名簿収載品目リスト」（令和7年8月25日現在） (Japanese)
- 消費者庁「食品表示基準について」別添 添加物関係（簡略名・用途名併記・一括名・栄養強化の範囲、既存添加物名簿収載品目リスト） (Japanese)
- 第10版 食品添加物公定書（2024年、厚生労働省・消費者庁）成分規格の定義 (Japanese)
Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.