Why Apples and Candy Are Coated in Wax: The Carnauba Story

Apples are naturally waxy. The waxy coating you see on an apple fresh from a tree is produced by the apple itself, a biological layer that reduces water loss and protects the skin.

When commercial apples get washed to remove pesticide residues, dirt, and bacteria, that natural wax washes off too. Without it, the apple would shrivel and lose moisture much faster. So producers apply a food-grade wax to replace what was removed.

That’s the whole story.

What Carnauba Wax Is

Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of Copernicia prunifera, a palm tree native to the semi-arid regions of northeastern Brazil. The wax coats the leaves to prevent water loss in a hot, dry climate. Workers harvest the leaves, dry them, and beat or scrape off the powdery wax coating. The raw wax is then filtered and refined to remove impurities.

The refined product is one of the hardest natural waxes available. It has a melting point of 82-86°C (180-187°F), well above room temperature, which is why it holds its shape and doesn’t feel greasy when you touch a waxed apple or a shiny candy coating.

The chemical composition is primarily esters of fatty acids and fatty alcohols, with smaller amounts of free fatty acids and hydrocarbons. All of these are inert compounds that the human digestive system doesn’t break down.

Applications in Food

Fresh produce is the most visible application. Apples, cucumbers, bell peppers, citrus fruits, and eggplants are commonly coated. The wax forms a barrier that slows transpiration (water loss through the skin), extending the window between harvest and when the produce looks tired on a shelf.

Candy coatings are another major use. The hard glossy shell on M&Ms, Jelly Belly beans, and similar candies uses carnauba wax as a polishing agent. The tumbling process in a coating pan deposits a thin, hard layer that produces the characteristic shine and prevents candies from sticking together.

Pharmaceutical tablets and supplement capsules also use carnauba wax as a coating agent, for the same reasons: it’s inert, doesn’t affect the active ingredients, and produces a consistent barrier.

FDA and EFSA Status

The FDA affirms carnauba wax as GRAS under 21 CFR 184.1978. It’s also approved as a food contact substance for use on fresh produce under separate FDA regulations.

EFSA completed its evaluation in 2012. The panel found no safety concerns at current use levels and confirmed that carnauba wax is not absorbed from the gut. The ADI designation is “not specified,” the highest favorable rating, because dietary exposure is so low and absorption is negligible.

The Non-Metabolism Point

Most food additives are either metabolized (broken down and used or excreted as metabolic products) or excreted intact. Carnauba wax falls firmly in the second category. The ester bonds in the wax are not hydrolyzed by human digestive enzymes under physiological conditions.

This means the wax you eat passes through your digestive tract without being broken down or absorbed, and exits in stool. There’s no accumulation. There’s no metabolic interaction. From a biological standpoint, the wax coating on your produce is about as inert as a plastic fork, except it’s digestively harmless because it’s not a plastic.

The Vegan Dimension

Carnauba wax is 100% plant-derived. This matters for consumers who avoid animal-derived food coatings like beeswax (from bees) or shellac (produced by lac insects). Carnauba wax is accepted by virtually all vegan certification programs as a compliant ingredient.

For candy manufacturers targeting vegan consumers, carnauba wax is the standard coating choice. For pharmaceutical companies making vegan-certified supplements, it serves the same function.

A Note on the Wax You Can’t See

The coating on commercial produce is applied in extremely thin layers, typically less than 1 mg per fruit. You can’t see the coating as a distinct layer, and you can barely feel it. If you’ve ever compared a waxed apple to an unwaxed one from a farmers market, the visual difference is subtle.

If you want to minimize wax exposure for aesthetic or personal preference reasons, washing produce with warm water and a small amount of baking soda removes most surface coating. But the safety case for removing it is not strong.