E903Carrier
Carnauba wax
Used in food as a carrier.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- EU permitted
What research says
How it’s made and used
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Fat firmness and stability1
In lab tests, palm oil with more carnauba wax made a firmer, more heat-stable fat.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
United States Permitted FDA 21 CFR 184.1978
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European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
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Canada Permitted Health Canada · Glazing Polishing Agents
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 10,502 products on Open Food Facts that list carnauba wax.
- Sachet de skittles aux fruits Skittles · 152 g 13 additives
- Fruit Snacks Welch's · 0.8 oz (22.7 g) 6 additives
- Chocolate M&M m&m's · 45 g 10 additives
- Fruits Skittles Skittles · 136 g 13 additives
- Bitter Orange Fine Sliced Marmalade Bonne Maman · 370 g 6 additives
- Skittles Wrigley · 45. g 11 additives
References
- 1Fu M, Mat Yusoff M, Mohd Adzahan N, Tan TB, Ismail-Fitry MR. Development and Characterization of Palm Oil-Based Oleogels Using Beeswax and Carnauba Wax as Healthier Beef Fat Mimetics. J Food Sci. 2025;90(5):e70241. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.70241