E-numbers / Other additives / E902
also: Candelilla · Euphorbia wax
A plant wax from a Mexican shrub, applied to confectionery, fruit and tablets as a thin protective coating and glaze.
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Candelilla wax is a natural wax obtained from the leaves and stems of the candelilla shrub (Euphorbia cerifera and related species), native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.
1
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E902 in their ingredients
That is under 0.1%, counted by its code or its name.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
Candelilla wax is a natural wax obtained from the leaves and stems of the candelilla shrub (Euphorbia cerifera and related species), native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is one of the hardest plant waxes known, composed chiefly of hydrocarbons, esters, and free acids. It is sometimes used as a plant-based alternative to beeswax in vegan formulations.
Applied as a thin surface coating, candelilla wax forms a moisture barrier that reduces water loss, prevents the food surface sticking to packaging or other pieces, and gives a polished sheen. In confectionery it locks in freshness and maintains shape; on fresh produce it slows shrivelling during storage and transport.
Most commonly found on coated chocolate confectionery (chocolate-covered sweets, sugar-panned candies), chewing gum (as a gum base component and surface coating), fresh citrus fruit and apples (as a post-harvest surface coating), and some dietary supplement tablets and capsules. On UK ingredient lists it appears as 'glazing agent: candelilla wax', 'glazing agent: E902', or simply 'E902'.
The European Food Safety Authority re-evaluated candelilla wax in 2012. The Panel found no genotoxicity concern and concluded that exposure from permitted uses was not of safety concern. No numerical Acceptable Daily Intake was considered necessary given the low exposure and the absence of adverse effects in the available studies.
EFSA's food additives panel reviewed available toxicological data and concluded that candelilla wax at current authorised uses did not raise a safety concern, and set no numerical ADI.
Candelilla wax is largely indigestible. The long-chain hydrocarbons that make up most of its mass pass through the gut without meaningful absorption. This physical inertness is part of why regulatory bodies have not identified a concern at food-coating exposure levels.
The predominant hydrocarbon fraction of candelilla wax is poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, consistent with its use as a surface coating at low levels.
People following a strict vegan diet should be aware that candelilla wax itself is plant-derived, but products carrying it (chocolate confectionery, sweets) may also contain beeswax or other animal-derived coatings. Check whether the product as a whole is certified vegan. No specific medical group has been identified as needing to avoid it. Look for 'candelilla wax' or 'E902' on the label.
Candelilla wax has been used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals for decades. The scientific literature on it as a food additive is thin precisely because it raises so few questions: it is physically inert, poorly absorbed, used in small surface-coating quantities, and has not attracted the kind of in-depth toxicological investigation that more bioactive additives prompt. The 2012 EFSA re-evaluation found nothing that warranted further restriction. That is the honest read: not because the science conclusively rules everything out, but because the evidence gathered to date points in one direction and there is no credible signal in the other.
No. Candelilla wax is an approved food additive in both the UK and the EU, permitted as a glazing agent in confectionery, chewing gum, fresh fruit and food supplements.
Candelilla wax itself comes from a plant (the candelilla shrub) and is not derived from animals, making it a common vegan alternative to beeswax (E901). However, a product containing E902 may also include other non-vegan ingredients, so check the full label or look for a certified-vegan mark.
You are most likely to encounter candelilla wax on chocolate-coated or sugar-panned sweets, the outside of chewing gum, wax-coated fresh citrus fruit and apples in supermarkets, and some vitamin or supplement tablets. It appears on labels as 'glazing agent: candelilla wax' or 'E902'.
No. Both are plant-derived glazing waxes but come from different plants. Candelilla wax (E902) comes from the candelilla shrub native to Mexico. Carnauba wax (E903) comes from the leaves of a Brazilian palm. They serve similar functions and are often used interchangeably in confectionery and cosmetics.
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