BEESWAX
First draft prepared by
Dr D.L Grant
Bureau of Chemical Safety
Health and Welfare
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
1. EXPLANATION
This substance has not been previously evaluated by the Joint
FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.
Beeswax (white and yellow) is the refined wax from honeycombs.
The wax is a secretion from bees of the genus Apis e.g., Apis
dorsata, A. indica, A. florea and the domesticated A. mellifera.
Beeswax is a complex mixture of several chemical compounds,
predominantly compounds based on straight-chain monohydric alcohols
with even-numbered carbon chains from C24 to C36 and
straight-chain acids also having even numbers of carbon atoms up to
C36 (including some C18 hydroxy acids) e.g., esters, diesters
and triesters. The free acids and alcohols occur in minor amounts.
It contains also hydrocarbons having odd-numbered carbon chains from
C21 to C33 and a minor amount of a colouring matter
(3-hydroxy-flavoe).
The composition of beeswax varies depending on its geographical
origin, however a typical composition of one product of yellow
beeswax is (NRC, 1981):
Total esters 70-71% (w/w)
Free alcohols 1-1.5% (w/w)
Free acids 9.6-10.9% (w/w)
Hydrocarbons 12.1-15.1 (w/w)
3-Hydroxyflavone 0.3 (w/w)
White beeswax is bleached yellow beeswax (ACT,1984; Blum
et al., 1988)
2. BIOLOGICAL DATA
2.1 Biochemical aspects
2.1.1 Absorption, distribution and excretion
It is generally believed that waxes are not digested or
absorbed from the alimentary tract in most mammals, including man.
Beeswax may be indigestible in mammals due to the structure of its
component compounds, which are not susceptible to hydrolysis by
enzymes of the alimentary tract, and due to its insolubility in
water and high melting point (62 °C - 65 °C) which prevent
dissolution at body temperature (FASEB, 1975). There are no original
research data available to support this claim.
There are reports in the literature that beeswax can be used as
the sole source of carbon by insects and microorganisms (Opdyke,
1976). This would suggest that certain amounts of ingested beeswax
could be broken down by gut microflora and then possibly absorbed.
2.1.2 Biotransformation
No information available.
2.2 Toxicological studies
2.2.1 Acute toxicity study
Species Sex Route LD50 Reference
(mg/kg b.w.)
Rat Not oral >5000 ACT, 1984
defined
2.2.2 Short-term studies
No information available.
2.2.3 Long-term/carcinogenicity studies
No information available.
2.2.4 Reproduction studies
No information available.
2.2.5 Special studies on mutagenicity
White beeswax, at concentrations of 5000 ppm and 10 000 ppm,
was not mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium strains TA1535,
TA1537, TA1538 or to Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain D4, in plate
and suspension tests, with or without the addition of mouse, rat or
monkey metabolic activation system (FASEB, 1975).
2.3 Observation in humans
No information available
3. COMMENTS AND EVALUATION
The only data available to the Committee indicated that the
LD50 (median lethal dose) in the rat was greater than 5 g per kg
of body weight per day and that beeswax was not mutagenic when
tested in in vitro microbial assays.
The Committee concluded that beeswax could be regarded as a
good constituent and that, although an evaluation in the traditional
manner could not be carried out, the long histry of use of natural
yellow beeswax without apparent adverse effects provided a degree of
assurance that its present functional uses (release and glazing
agent in bakery products, glazing agent on fresh and frozen fruit,
glazing agent on candy, carrier for flavours, and component of
chewing-gum bases) did not raise any toxicological concerns.
The processing necessary to obtain bleached white beeswax did
not appear to alter this conclusion, as the specifications limit the
levels of peroxides present.
The Committee noted that beeswax might have allergenic
potential and that the consumer should be made aware of its presence
in foods.
The Committee also noted that attention should be paid to the
possibility that toxic substances present in honey in some parts of
the world might also occur in beeswax.
5. REFERENCES
ACT (1984). Final report on the safety assessment of candelilla wax,
carnauba wax, Japan wax and beeswax. J. Amer. Coll. Toxicol., 3:
1-41.
BLUM, M.S., JONES, T.H., RINDERER, T.E., AND SYLVESTER, H.A. (1988).
Oxygenated compounds in beeswax: identification and possible
significance. Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 91B: 581-583.
FASEB (1975). Evaluation of the health aspects of beeswax (yellow or
white) as a food ingredient. Prepared for FDA. Contract No. FDA
223-75-2004. Unpublished report.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (1981). Food Chemicals Codex. Third
Edition. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., pp. 34-35.
OPDYKE, D.L.J. (1976). Beeswax absolute. Monographs on fragrance raw
materials. Food Cosmet. Toxicol., 14 (suppl.): 691-692.