Did You Know Skittles Are Coated With Shellac?

by Stephen Wicks

Okay.  This one was weird for me to find out.  Did you know that Skittles are coated with shellac?  I didn't.  I had no idea that Skittles and some pills are coated with shellac to give it a shiny appearance.  

Furthermore, shellac, is made from the secretions of the female lac bug.  Yes.  Shellac, the liquid that people also use to make wood shine, is made from bugs.

Maybe you already knew this.  Maybe you just found out but still don't care.  I'm not sure.  But, for me, this is really weird.  It really makes me want to know more about the things that we eat and put into our bodies.  I think that many of us assume that when we see a product on the market, it must be safe to eat with no harmful side effects.  I'm not sure that I would just slather my food with shellac if left to my own devices.

Here is a link to a Wikipedia article on shellac.  Click Here

Bon appetit! 

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