E-numbers / Other additives / E908
also: Rice wax · Oryza sativa bran wax
Rice bran wax is not currently authorised as a food additive in the UK or EU. It does not appear in Annex II of the assimilated Regulation 1333/2008, and the UK FSA electronic register has no entry for E908. The E-number label exists but it does not represent a permitted additive in Great Britain.
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Products labelled 'E908' or 'glazing agent (rice bran wax)' in the UK or EU would be unlabelled with an unauthorised additive under current rules.
Why it’s worth knowing. Products labelled 'E908' or 'glazing agent (rice bran wax)' in the UK or EU would be unlabelled with an unauthorised additive under current rules. It is not on the UK list of approved food additives, so you will not normally see this E number on a UK label.
Rice bran wax is a hard, natural wax obtained by refining crude rice bran oil. It consists mainly of esters of long-chain fatty acids and fatty alcohols, similar in composition to other waxes such as carnauba (E903) and candelilla (E902), both of which are authorised food additives.
It forms a thin protective film on the surface of food. This glossy coating slows moisture loss, prevents sticking, gives a polished appearance, and protects the food during storage and handling.
Rice bran wax has been used as a food glazing agent in some jurisdictions (notably the United States, where it holds GRAS status), but it is not authorised for use in UK or EU food products. Any UK product carrying 'E908' on its label would not be compliant with current food additive regulations.
E908 is absent from Annex II of the UK assimilated version of Regulation 1333/2008 (verified against the 28 June 2024 consolidated text on legislation.gov.uk). The UK FSA electronic register at data.food.gov.uk returns no entry for E908; the glazing agents in the permitted list run from E907 to E914 with no E908 entry. No EFSA standalone food-additive safety opinion exists for rice bran wax as a food additive. A 2024 EFSA opinion did assess oxidised rice bran wax derivatives for use in food-contact packaging materials, not as a food additive itself. No numerical acceptable daily intake has been set for E908.
Annex II of assimilated Regulation 1333/2008 (UK, 28 June 2024 version) lists glazing agents E900, E901, E902, E903, E904, E905, E907, and E914. E908 does not appear.
The UK FSA regulated products register at data.food.gov.uk has no entry at the /e-908 path and no listing for rice bran wax; E914 is confirmed authorised, confirming the register is complete for this range.
EFSA assessed oxidised rice bran wax and its calcium salt for use in food-contact plastics (PET, PA, PLA, PVC) and found migration into food simulants to be very low (below 0.3 mg/kg for wax esters, below 0.012 mg/kg for other fractions). This covers packaging chemistry, not rice bran wax as a food additive.
No numerical ADI has been established for rice bran wax as a food additive; JECFA has not published a standalone monograph for it.
Rice bran wax holds GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) status in the United States (FDA GRAS Notice 655). A 2025 peer-reviewed toxicological bridging study argued that its safety can be supported by reference to the established safety records of carnauba (E903) and candelilla (E902) wax. The practical exposure from a thin surface coating is small, and the structural chemistry is similar to permitted waxes. However, structural similarity and a US GRAS filing do not confer UK or EU authorisation.
A peer-reviewed toxicological bridging assessment concluded that rice bran wax and sunflower wax share the same chemical class as carnauba and candelilla wax, supporting their use in food on the basis of the established safety record of those substances.
As E908 is not authorised for use in UK or EU food products, the question of who should avoid it does not arise in the normal course of buying UK-labelled food. Rice bran wax is plant-derived and contains no known allergens under UK food labelling law; people with a rice allergy should note the plant origin, though the refining process removes proteins.
The E908 number appears in many third-party additive databases alongside descriptions of its function as a glazing agent, which creates a misleading impression that it is a permitted UK or EU food additive. It is not. The permitted glazing agents in the UK include carnauba wax (E903), candelilla wax (E902), beeswax (E901), shellac (E904), microcrystalline wax (E905), hydrogenated poly-1-decene (E907), and oxidised polyethylene wax (E914). Rice bran wax is authorised for food use in the United States.
No. Rice bran wax (E908) does not appear in Annex II of the assimilated Regulation 1333/2008, which is the UK's list of permitted food additives. The UK FSA electronic register has no entry for E908. It is not an authorised food additive in the UK.
No. The consolidated EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex II does not list E908. The permitted glazing agents in the EU jump from E907 to E914. E908 is not an authorised EU food additive.
No standalone EFSA safety opinion exists for E908 as a food additive. A 2024 EFSA opinion covered an oxidised derivative of rice bran wax used in food-contact packaging, not E908 as a food coating. A 2025 peer-reviewed study argued its safety can be bridged from the records for carnauba and candelilla wax, but it remains outside the EU/UK permitted list.
Rice bran wax holds GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) status in the United States under FDA GRAS Notice 655. It may be authorised in other jurisdictions. It is not permitted in UK or EU food products.
Rice bran wax is extracted from the oil layer of rice bran, making it entirely plant-derived. However, as it is not authorised in UK or EU food products, UK consumers are unlikely to encounter it on a food label.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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