• On TikTok, Internet users cry scandal: insects would be found in the famous Schokobons sold by Kinder.
  • Among the ingredients, there is a glazing agent, shellac. It comes from the secretions of the Asian mealybug, an insect.
  • "It is an additive frequently used in food and medicines for decades," the Ferrero company - to which Kinder belongs - told 20 Minutes.

On TikTok, a viral trend in recent days shows netizens angry with the famous chocolate brand Kinder. On the shelves of supermarkets, they film themselves discovering what seems to be one of the biggest deceptions in history. "We have always eaten insects without realizing it," warns a first user. "But it's a scandal, I hallucinated when I heard that. We've been eating insects for a while, did you know that? " asks a second. In question, the much appreciated Schokobons.

The mystery ingredient would be "shellac", otherwise identifiable as shellac or E904. 20 Minutes tells you more about this component.



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Insects on our plates? This is what TikTok users claim in their videos. This Monday, we checked on the shelves and indeed the Schokobons packages indicate the following composition: "glazing agents (gum arabic, shellac)". It is a texturizing agent derived from the secretions of the Asian mealybug, a small insect. It is mainly the secretions of the female that are used, explains the CNRS.

On its website, UFC Que choisir adds that shellac resin is useful for protecting ingredients from drying out and loss of aroma. Thus, it is found in many foods such as sweets, chocolates or cakes. Some fruits such as apples can also be covered with this gum, but its addition should always be indicated.

"Used for decades"

In 2018, however, the Foodwatch association warned of the wrong indication made on the products concerned. For example, "on the very red and shiny Fuji apples", the association says: "Nothing, in the fresh section, suggests that the apples have been coated with this insect resin". In the same report, a dozen products were implicated by the organization for label scams of not warning the consumer of the animal presence in the product.

By the way, shellac is not only used in food. "Its film-forming, adhesive and plasticizing properties are attributed to the presence of compounds similar to those of certain waxes. Shellac wax is also used for mascaras, lip rolls, eyeliners and glossy nail lacquers," notes the CNRS.

Nevertheless, in the diet, "no harmful effects have ever been reported," recalls the association UFC que choisir. On the side of the Ferrero group - to which Kinder belongs - we specify to 20 Minutes: "We do not use insects in our products. We use shellac gum in the coating of Schokobons, to make them brighter. It is a frequently used additive in food and medicines for decades. »

E120 and its risk of allergies

In one of the videos posted on TikTok, a user also blames M&M's chocolates and the presence of E120. This carminic acid is also obtained from cochineal extracts. Its red powder actually acts as a dye for the famous peanut chocolates, but is also used in tagada strawberries at Haribo.

But for this product, EFSA highlights the possibility of respiratory and food allergies. However, E120 remains regulatory, even if a certain dose must be respected for its consumption (5 mg/kg body weight/day, according to EFSA).

On social networks, the potential consumption of insects without our knowledge often comes up as a cause for concern. Recently, Internet users have alerted about the recent vote by the European Commission on the marketing of domestic crickets. However, as the organization indicated earlier to 20 Minutes, for prepackaged or non-prepackaged products containing allergens, the information must be easily visible to the consumer.

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