In the food industry, waxes are used for coating foods.
Some examples of application :
- Cheese
Food grade waxes are used to create a protective coating around some cheeses. These waxes are specially designed to protect cheeses and retain their specific properties and flavors.
- Fruits and vegetables
The coating of certain foods with a thin film of wax appears mainly as a simple and economical means of responding to market constraints: improving the final appearance of the product, slowing down the ripening process and extending the shelf life of fresh products such as fruits and vegetables.
Usually, these are products that the skin cannot be eaten and you must peel off.
Two main categories of food coatings :
– Traditional waxes which give the fruit a shine, or even color, but have no significant physiological effect on the product. These are vegetable waxes such as carnauba, candelilla, rice bran, or beeswax. Paraffin is commonly used on apples for its “waxing” effect, which lasts longer than the “shine” effect of vegetable waxes.
– More sophisticated active compositions, which allow controlled permeability, and therefore influence more precisely the metabolism of the product and the various biochemical reactions which occur during the ripening process. This food coating is intended in particular to reduce water loss or even to reduce injuries due to cold or handling.
The active compositions are specific formulations based on vegetable or mineral waxes.
- Confectionery
Wax is used to coat certain candies to make them shiny and to change the consistency of chewing gum.
ADC is a supplier of specific waxes for the food industry sector.
