Insects

Four additives here are made by or from insects: the carmine colours extracted from the cochineal scale insect, shellac from the resin the lac insect leaves on trees, and beeswax.

Cochineal and carmine are the ones most often asked about, because a bright red in a sweet or a drink is frequently this. Beeswax and shellac are used as glazes.

4 additives. A starting material describes a route, not a risk and not a dietary answer — see what this does and does not say, and the dietary indexes for the separate question of suitability.

Additives recorded as starting from from insects. A column per jurisdiction shows its headline status.
AdditiveIdentifiersFunctionANZCAEUGBJPKRUSCODEX
Beeswax (yellow and white)E901 INS 901 8012-89-3Glazing agentPermitted, with conditionsPermitted, with conditionsPermitted, with conditionsPermitted, with conditionsNot listedPermitted, with conditionsPermittedPermitted, with conditions
CarminesE120 INS 120 1390-65-4ColourPermitted, with conditionsNot listedPermitted, with conditionsPermitted, with conditionsNot listedPermitted, with conditionsPermittedPermitted, with conditions
Cochineal extract; carmine—ColourNot listedPermitted, with conditionsNot listedNot listedNot listedNot listedPermittedNot listed
Shellac, bleachedE904 INS 904 9000-59-3Glazing agentPermitted, with conditionsPermitted, with conditionsPermitted, with conditionsPermitted, with conditionsNot listedPermitted, with conditionsNot listedPermitted, with conditions

Also: plants, animal sources, fermentation, minerals and inorganic salts, petrochemical feedstocks, other and mixed routes.