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Carnauba wax (E903)

Carnauba wax (E903) is one of the markers Open Food Facts uses to classify a food as ultra-processed (NOVA group 4).

What it is and why it counts

Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of a Brazilian palm and gives sweets and coated chocolates their shine.

Cosmetic additives

NOVA calls these additives "cosmetic": they change how a product looks, feels or tastes rather than keeping it safe to eat. Their presence is one of the two defining signs of an ultra-processed food.

Function

Carrier
A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.

Functional class definitions from the EU food additives regulation, via Open Food Facts.

More about carnauba wax (E903) on Wikidata

Where it turns up

Carnauba wax (E903) appears in 354 of the 40,000 products on this site (1%).

Products containing carnauba wax (E903)

Showing the 60 most popular of 354.

How the NOVA classification works