Oxidised polyethylene wax
E914 · Oxidised polyethylene wax · Oxidized polyethylene · Ceară polietilenică oxidată · Cera de polietileno oxidada · Cera polietilenica ossidata · Cire de polyéthylène oxydée · Geoxideerde polyethyleenwas · Hapetettu polyeteenivaha · oksidiran polietilenski vosek · Oksidirani polietilenski vosak · Oksiduotas polietileno vaškas · OKSIDĒTI POLIETILĒNSVEĶI · Oksidēti polietilēna sveķi · Oksüdeeritud polüetüleenvaha · Oxiderat polyetylenvax · Oxideret polyethylenvoks · Oxidised polyethylene wax · Oxidovaný polyethylenový vosk · Oxidovaný polyetylénový vosk · OXIDÁLT POLIETILÉNVIASZ · Oxidált polietilén viasz · POLYETHYLENWACHS-OXIDATE · Polyethylenwachsoxidate · Wosk polietylenowy utleniony · XAMA' TAL-POLIETILEN OSSIDAT · Xama' ta’ polietilin ossidizzat · ΚΗΡΟΣ ΟΞΕΙΔΩΜΕΝΩΝ ΠΟΛΥΑΙΘΥΛΕΝΙΩΝ · Κηρός οξειδωμένου πολυαιθυλενίου · Окислен полиетиленов восъкE number E914CAS 68441-17-8
Listed as a glazing agent by the US.
Listed as glazing and surface-finishing agents (US)
- United States: Surface-finishing agent — FDA, Substances Added to Food: POLYETHYLENE, OXIDIZED
Oxidised polyethylene wax is a coating for the skins of fresh fruit, applied to slow moisture loss and give waxed produce its shine. The EU permits it on citrus fruit, melons, papaya, mango, avocado and pineapple.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | Permitted, with conditions | 1 food category highest permitted level 250 mg/kg | Food Standards Code, Schedule 15, S15—5, item 4.1.2.1, INS 914retrieved 2026-10-17 |
| Canada | No listing matchedHealth Canada’s lists name additives without E or INS numbers, so this site matches them by exact name. A substance listed there under a name this site does not recognise has no row here. | ||
| European Union | Permitted, with conditions | 1 food category quantum satis. only surface treatment of citrus fruit, melons, papaya, mango, avocado and pineapple. | Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II, as amended by (EU) No 1129/2011retrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Great Britain | Permitted, with conditions | 1 food category quantum satis. only surface treatment of citrus fruit, melons, papaya, mango, avocado and pineapple. | Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II (as at 28 June 2024)retrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Japan | No listing matchedThis site imports only Japan’s list of designated additives (Appended Table 1 to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act), matched by English name. Existing additives, natural flavouring agents and ordinary foods used as additives are permitted outside that list and are not imported, so an empty row does not show that Japan does not permit the substance. | ||
| South Korea | No listing matchedThis site imports Part III of South Korea’s Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, matched by CAS number, then INS number, then exact name. Mixed preparations and sanitisers are not imported, and an entry whose identifiers disagreed with a page’s is held for review, so an empty row does not show that South Korea does not permit the substance. | ||
| United States | Permitted, with conditions | 21 CFR 172.260retrieved 2026-10-17 | |
| Codex Alimentarius | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. |
How much is permitted
A listing usually limits the quantity as well as the food. Only one of the forms that takes is a figure: quantum satis and good manufacturing practice permit the amount the technological effect requires and no more, which is a limit rather than the absence of one. Figures below are the range across every food category this page is listed in, and categories differ between regulators — see how much is permitted.
| Australia and New Zealand | 250 mg/kg | 1 numeric limit |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | — | 1 quantum satis |
| Great Britain | — | 1 quantum satis |
| United States | — | 1 no quantity stated |
What it is made from
Made by partially oxidising polyethylene wax so it will emulsify and spread in a thin film.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
- CAS registry number
- 68441-17-8
How the EU defines it
The legal specification an additive must meet to be sold as this E number in the EU — what it is, how it may be made, and the purity it must reach. From Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.
E 914 Oxidised polyethylene wax
Polar reaction products from mild oxidation of polyethylene
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Chemical name
- Oxidised polyethylene
- Description
- Almost white flakes, powder, granules or pellets
Identification
- Density
- Between 0,92 and 1,05 (20 °C)
- Drop point
- Greater than 95 °C
Purity criteria
- Acid value
- Not more than 70
- Viscosity
- Not less than 8,1 · 10– 5 m²s– 1 at 120 °C
- Other wax types
- Not detectable (by differential scanning calorimetry and/or infrared spectroscopy)
- Oxygen
- Not more than 9,5 %
- Chromium
- Not more than 5 mg/kg
- Lead
- Not more than 2 mg/kg
Every name it appears under
30 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
E number
- E914
As it appears in regulation
- Oxidised polyethylene wax
- Oxidized polyethylene
The EU re-evaluation programme
Every additive authorised in the EU before 20 January 2009 was put back through EFSA by Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010, and this one is named in it. What the Regulation required is below; whether the opinion has since been published is not something this site records.
- To be evaluated by 31 December 2018. Named in Annex II, Part II, point 4 as “Oxidised polyethylene wax”, among the additives given priority within its class.
Hazard reference values
No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.
Evidence and how bodies read it
What assessing bodies concluded
Each conclusion is paraphrased in the body's own framing, from the published opinion linked beneath it. Where bodies differ, both stand; this site does not adjudicate between them or add a view of its own.
EFSA 2015
The ANS Panel considered the toxicity database for oxidised polyethylene wax (E 914) insufficient to derive an ADI, but found it not genotoxic and calculated a margin of safety of about 4,400 at the highest intake estimate. It concluded that E 914 is of no safety concern at the maximum reported use level in its currently authorised use on fruit surfaces.
Common questions
Assembled from what is above, in the words the questions are usually asked in. Each answer is the same statement the relevant section makes, with the same citations behind it.
- What is E 914?
- E 914 is Oxidised polyethylene wax. Oxidised polyethylene wax is a coating for the skins of fresh fruit, applied to slow moisture loss and give waxed produce its shine. The EU permits it on citrus fruit, melons, papaya, mango, avocado and pineapple.
- What is Oxidised polyethylene wax used for in food?
- It is listed as a glazing agent — the role the US assigns it. This page shows every function each regulator records, with the citation for each.
- Where is Oxidised polyethylene wax permitted?
- Of the seven regulators this site reads, Australia and New Zealand, the EU, Great Britain and the US permit it. Each permission is for named foods at named levels, not a blanket one; the table on this page gives them with citations.
- Is Oxidised polyethylene wax vegan?
- Yes. Oxidised polyethylene wax is not derived from animals, and is suitable for vegetarians. This page says what it is made from and how.
Sources for this page
- anz retrieved 2026-10-17
- eu retrieved 2026-10-18
- gb retrieved 2026-10-18
- ecfr retrieved 2026-10-17
- euspecs retrieved 2026-10-18
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