Shellac
Function: Food Additive
E904 is the European food-additive number for Shellac. Shellac (E904) is a food additive used as a food additive.
Is E904 safe or restricted?
E904 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as “No regulatory flags” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E904 vegan or vegetarian?
Shellac (E904) is typically derived from animal sources and is generally not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E904?
E904 appears in 4,241 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in candy & sweets, chocolate candy and gummy candy.
- Candy & Sweets481
- Chocolate Candy404
- Gummy Candy207
- Food Coloring / Decorations179
- Snacks & Sweets171
- Jelly Beans140
- Biscuits & Cookies136
- Chewing Gum128
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E904 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E904
- What is E904?
- E904 is the E-number for Shellac. Shellac (E904) is a food additive used as a food additive.
- Which foods contain E904?
- E904 appears in 4,241 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in candy & sweets, chocolate candy and gummy candy. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E904 vegan or vegetarian?
- Shellac (E904) is typically derived from animal sources and is generally not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E904 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E904 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as "No regulatory flags" and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E904 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.