Is E904 halal? Shellac explained
Updated October 20, 2026 by madebykamal
E904 is shellac, a glazing agent made from a resin secreted by the lac insect. SANHA, Muftionline and the GMWA Halal Food Guide list it as halal, and Halal Authority India lists it as halal when it is the type not treated with alcohol, though the GMWA guide notes that some scholars still disagree. This page reports who lists it how; it is not a ruling, and if you follow a particular school or certifier, check what that one says.
What E904 is and what it is made from
SANHA (South Africa) lists E904 as shellac, a glazing agent whose source is the resin of the lac insect. Halal Authority India's E-number sheet, which also files it under glazing agents, describes a gummy secretion from the pores of the insect Coccus lacca, which feeds on Palas trees in India and South Asia, and says this gummy material is called lac. The GMWA Halal Food Guide (UK) describes shellac as a secretion of the lac insect, which it says is related to the scale insects.
SANHA lists its uses as a tablet sealer, as varnish or glazing, and on sweets and waxed fruit, with other uses in cosmetics, hair lacquer, tablets and mascara.
How it appears on labels
The UK government's list of approved additives gives E904 simply as shellac, so on a label look for the word shellac as well as the code. Halal Authority India notes that two types of shellac are sold, one treated with alcohol and one not. That difference is a question for the manufacturer, or for the certifier whose mark is on the pack.
Halal Scanner - Dalil
Halal scanner with sourced rulings
On a computer? Scan this with your iPhone camera to open it in the App Store.What certifiers and fatwa sites list
- SANHA (South Africa): lists E904 as halaal, with its source given as the resin of the lac insect.
- Halal Authority India, E-number sheet: halal if it is not treated with alcohol. Of the two types of shellac available, it says, the halal type is the one not treated with alcohol.
- Muftionline (South Africa): in an answer by Mufti Zakaria Makada, checked and approved by Mufti Ebrahim Salejee, "Foods containing shellac are halaal."
- GMWA Halal Food Guide (UK), answer updated December 2012: on the basis of a fatwa issued by Darul Uloom Karachi and endorsed by Mufti M. Taqi Usmani, shellac is halaal, and the guide retracts its previous view. It adds that there is still some disagreement from other scholars and that it is up to the individual to decide.
Where views differ
The listings above mostly agree, but the agreement is not complete. The GMWA guide retracted its own earlier view and still records that other scholars disagree, and Halal Authority India attaches a condition about alcohol that the other three listings do not state. None of the four sets out positions school by school.
Schools and certifiers differ, and the GMWA guide leaves the final decision to the individual. If you follow a particular school, or rely on a particular certifier, check what that school's scholars or that certifier says about shellac, and ask your own scholar about anything that matters to you.
What to check on a product
- Read the ingredient list for shellac or E904. SANHA's list of uses includes sweets, waxed fruit and tablet sealing, so check coated sweets, fruit and tablets too.
- Look for a halal certification mark from a certifier you follow. A certified product answers the question for the whole product, including processing, which an ingredient list cannot.
- If you follow Halal Authority India's condition, ask the manufacturer whether the shellac used is a type treated with alcohol.
- Check the rest of the ingredient list as well: a halal listing for shellac says nothing about the other ingredients in the same product.
Looking up shellac with Dalil
Dalil, a halal ingredient scanner for iPhone, lets you type an ingredient or an E number, or point the camera at an ingredient panel, and reads each line as it comes into focus. Each reading shows the ingredient as the packet spells it, what it is with a link to the regulation defining it, and what published rulings say with a link to each one. It never says a product is halal or certified, and it works with no account and no network code, so nothing you scan leaves the phone.
Questions people ask
Is shellac haram because it comes from an insect?
Not on the listings here. SANHA, Muftionline and the GMWA Halal Food Guide list shellac as halal, and Halal Authority India lists it as halal when it is not treated with alcohol. The GMWA guide notes that some scholars still disagree and leaves the decision to the individual.
Is E904 the same as shellac?
Yes. The UK's approved additives list and SANHA both give E904 as shellac. Halal Authority India adds that the raw material, a secretion of the lac insect, is called lac.
Is shellac halal in candy and tablets?
The sources here list shellac itself, not a particular food. What can change the answer for a given product is the alcohol treatment Halal Authority India mentions and the product's other ingredients, so look for a halal mark or ask the manufacturer.
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