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Apples and shellac

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  • 19-01-2011 3:48am
    #1
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭


    Apples with that waxy shiny coating on them are coated in shellac, which is produced by insects, and usually contains crushed insects apparently.


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    #2
    NecroSteve
    Registered Users Posts: 165 ✭✭NecroSteve


    Actually it varies a lot what fruit is coated in. There are also hard plant waxes like carnauba and candelilla, and petrochemical based versions too, i.e. plastic. Hard to tell the difference, if it's possible at all. Shellac is MADE OUT OF BEETLES, by the way!


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    #3
    Mark Hamill
    Registered Users Posts: 7,772 ✭✭✭Mark Hamill


    NecroSteve wrote: »
    Actually it varies a lot what fruit is coated in. There are also hard plant waxes like carnauba and candelilla, and petrochemical based versions too, i.e. plastic. Hard to tell the difference, if it's possible at all. Shellac is MADE OUT OF BEETLES, by the way!

    Not exactly.
    Shellac is the secretion of the lac insect, collected from the tree bark that insect secrets it on as a glue for its larvae. Its vegetarian but not vegan (it would be along the same lines as honey).

    BTW, the food substance that is make from bugs is carminic acid (e120), a red food dye used in many sweets (eg skittles).


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    #4
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭pwd


    Mark Hamill wrote: »
    Not exactly.
    Shellac is the secretion of the lac insect, collected from the tree bark that insect secrets it on as a glue for its larvae. Its vegetarian but not vegan (it would be along the same lines as honey).

    BTW, the food substance that is make from bugs is carminic acid (e120), a red food dye used in many sweets (eg skittles).
    Apparently there is usually some crushed beetle in there too though.


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    #5
    anothernight
    Registered Users Posts: 2,541 ✭✭✭anothernight


    Mark Hamill wrote: »
    Not exactly.
    Shellac is the secretion of the lac insect, collected from the tree bark that insect secrets it on as a glue for its larvae. Its vegetarian but not vegan (it would be along the same lines as honey).


    Shellac itself doesn't contain insects because they're strained out of it during the production process. Some people are fine with that, but a lot of vegetarians aren't, even if the food industry generally considers it a vegetarian product.


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    #6
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭pwd


    anothernight wrote: »
    Shellac itself doesn't contain insects because they're strained out of it during the production process. Some people are fine with that, but a lot of vegetarians aren't, even if the food industry generally considers it a vegetarian product.
    I suppose it comes down to whether you care about insects being killed as part of the food production process. Then again insects are killed as a matter of course while farming vegetables I think, so where do you draw the line


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    #7
    Mark Hamill
    Registered Users Posts: 7,772 ✭✭✭Mark Hamill


    anothernight wrote: »
    Shellac itself doesn't contain insects because they're strained out of it during the production process. Some people are fine with that, but a lot of vegetarians aren't, even if the food industry generally considers it a vegetarian product.

    Not just the food industry, vegsoc consider it vegetarian too.
    pwd wrote: »
    I suppose it comes down to whether you care about insects being killed as part of the food production process. Then again insects are killed as a matter of course while farming vegetables I think, so where do you draw the line

    I imagine thats the view vegsoc take on it (same way I look at it).


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