According to a paper authored by scientists at the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Chandigarh, shellac is a good substitute for single use plastics, making it a desirable, ecofriendly material for food packaging.
What is Shellac?
- Shellac (Laccifer lacca) is the refined version of lac, a resin secreted by lac insects.
- Lac is secreted by female lac bugs, most commonly of the species Kerria lacca.
- Shellac is an edible resin and is used in both food and nonfood end use industries.
- In India, Myanmar, Thailand, and southern China, Shellac has been recognized for about 4,000 years and was originally used as a natural dye for architecture, silk and leather dyeing.
- Shellac is a low molecular weight resin mainly composed of oxyacid polyesters.
- Shellac possesses the additional advantage of excellent amphiphilicity.
- Shellac wax and shellac dye are also used in the food industry, especially in post harvesting. India is a leading producer and processor of shellac.
(Source: BL)
