Food additive databasegum base, glazing agentChecked 2026-10-02
Urushi Wax ウルシロウ
Existing food additiveNot on the EU additive list
- Purpose
- gum base, glazing agent
- On the label
- “ガムベース” (gum base) (group name), “光沢剤” (glazing agent) (group name), “ウルシロウ” (urushi wax)
- Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
- ウルシロウ (No. 35)
- Source and production
- Obtained from the fruit of the lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum); the main component is glyceryl palmitate.
In Japan
- A wax obtained from the fruit of the lacquer tree, with glyceryl palmitate as its main component. It is used as the base of chewing gum (gum base) and as a glazing agent. There are no standards for use.
- When used for the purpose of gum base or glazing agent, it can be written with the group names “ガムベース” (gum base) and “光沢剤” (glazing agent), respectively.
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 not on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II), so it cannot be used as a food additive in the EU.
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
- 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・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.