On TikTok, several Internet users denounce the presence of the ingredient called “shellac” which would be an insect, in Schokobons Kinder (Ferrero). Are there really insects in these famous Kinder chocolates?
Internet users have been sharing for several days videos on TikTok in which they panic composition of Schokobons Kinder (Ferrero). In question, the “shellac” ingredient mentioned on the packets famous Kinder chocolates. “You eat insect schokobons!” alert several people. By typing the term on the Internet, they discover that the shellac would be an insect and multiply the reactions on the social network.
Insects in our Schokobons, fake news or revelation of a food scandal ? On the back of the packages, we can actually read “glazing agent (shellac)“. According to the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), “shellac gum comes from the polyester resin secreted by the female of an insect which parasitizes certain tropical species in India and Thailand“. It’s about the Asian scale insect, Kerria lacca. “A part is used to produce a wax“. In the food industry, it is used as a “coating agent“. “It forms like a shiny and abrasion-resistant film on food, protecting them from drying out and loss of aroma. No adverse effects have ever been reported” indicates theUFC-What to choose on his site.
“A safe and authorized additive”
Questioned by our colleagues from 20 minutes on February 21, 2023, the Ferrero group clarified: “We do not use insects in our products. We use shellac gum in the coating of the Schokobons, to make them shinier. It is a safe and authorized additive in many products by food and health authorities around the world. It is frequently used in food and medicine and has been for decades.“. Note, the shellac wax is also used in other industry products, including some cosmetics (mascara, lipsticks…).