If you searched for INS904 or INS 904, you are looking at shellac. Shellac is a refined resinous secretion from the lac insect. Food manufacturers use its glossy, protective film on confectionery, waxed fruit, and some tablets. The ingredient source is not disputed. The religious assessment is.
INS 904, E904, and shellac mean the same additive
Codex lists shellac, bleached with the INS number 904. European-style labels often write it as E904. Some shoppers search without the space as INS904, but the practical label check is the same: identify shellac, then check the certifier standard and the finished product certificate.
The FDA food-substance inventory also lists purified shellac with names such as candy glaze, confectioner's glaze, gum lac, lac resin, and surface-finishing agent. A product may use one of those names instead of a number.
Names to look for on the label
- shellac
- E904, INS 904, or INS904
- confectioner's glaze or confectioners glaze
- candy glaze
- gum lac
- resinous glaze or lac resin
- pharmaceutical glaze
A broad term such as "glazing agent" may need a manufacturer question if the additive is not named elsewhere. Recipes also vary by product and country, so check the package in your hand.
Why the halal answers differ
SANHA lists E904 as halaal and describes it as resin from the lac insect. Indonesia's MUI Fatwa No. 27 also permits shellac for food, medicine, and cosmetics under its stated reasoning. The UK Halal Monitoring Committee takes a stricter certification position and requires products to be free from insect-derived substances such as shellac.
E904 identifies shellac. It does not tell you which halal standard the finished product follows or whether the product has been certified.
Where shellac can appear
Codex records shellac uses in confectionery, decorations, supplements, and other food categories. SANHA also names sweets, waxed fruit, and tablet sealing. In January 2026, the European Commission extended E904 use to certain foods for special medical purposes in tablet and coated-tablet forms.
This makes the ingredient relevant beyond shiny candy. Check chocolate-coated pieces, sprinkles, chewing gum, polished fruit, supplements, and coated tablets when their finish looks glazed. The halal chocolate guide and halal chocolate checker cover glaze alongside fillings, flavors, and emulsifiers.
Shellac is not carmine
Shellac and carmine both come from insects, but they are different ingredients. Shellac is the lac insect's resinous secretion and acts mainly as a glaze. Carmine, cochineal, or E120 is a red colour produced from insect bodies. A ruling or certificate for one does not automatically settle the other.
A practical label check
- Search the ingredients for shellac, E904, INS 904, confectioner's glaze, or pharmaceutical glaze.
- Look for a current halal mark and identify the certifier.
- Check whether that certifier permits shellac under its standard.
- Review the rest of the product, including gelatin, glycerin, colours, flavours, and tablet excipients.
- If the glaze is unnamed, ask the manufacturer what material it uses on the exact product sold in your country.
Does this exact product use shellac, E904, or another confectionery or pharmaceutical glaze, and is the current formula covered by a halal certificate?
The manufacturer question generator can turn that into a product-specific message.
The glazes that are not insect derived
Where shellac is the concern, the alternatives do the same job and are named on the label in the same place.
- Carnauba wax (E903): from the leaves of a Brazilian palm. Plant derived.
- Candelilla wax (E902): from a shrub. Plant derived.
- Beeswax (E901): a bee product, widely accepted on the same footing as honey, though it is an insect product rather than a plant one.
The difficulty is that all of these, shellac included, can appear as the single phrase "glazing agent". Confectioner's glaze in particular usually means shellac despite the neutral name. The glazing agents guide covers why the category word settles nothing.
Related label checks
Cake decorations are a common place to find glaze, covered in the sprinkles guide. See how shellac appears in candy and vitamin gummies, compare it with carmine and E120, check chewing gum coatings, or search E904 in the halal E-number checker. If the glaze appears on gum, use the halal chewing gum checker. If it appears on chocolate, use the halal chocolate checker. If you want the general method rather than one ingredient, read how to read a halal food label.
Frequently asked questions
What is INS 904?
INS 904 is the international additive number for shellac, a glazing agent also listed as E904 on many labels. It may also appear as confectioner's glaze, candy glaze, resinous glaze, lac resin, gum lac, or pharmaceutical glaze.
Is E904 halal or haram?
Halal authorities do not all classify E904 or INS 904 the same way. SANHA and MUI permit shellac, while the UK Halal Monitoring Committee excludes insect-derived substances such as shellac from products it certifies. Follow the certifier or qualified scholar whose standard you use.
Is confectioner's glaze shellac?
It commonly is. Shellac can appear as E904, confectioner's glaze, confectioners glaze, resinous glaze, lac resin, or pharmaceutical glaze. Check the exact ingredient declaration and ask the manufacturer if the term is unclear.
Is shellac the same as carmine?
No. Both are insect-derived, but shellac is a resinous secretion from lac insects, while carmine or E120 is a red colour made from cochineal insects. Halal authorities may assess them differently.
Are shellac-coated pills halal?
The answer depends on the halal standard you follow and the complete tablet formula. Shellac may be only the outer coating, so check the active ingredients, excipients, capsule or tablet materials, and product-level certification too. Do not stop prescribed medicine without speaking to a clinician or pharmacist.