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A glazing agent is a natural or synthetic substance that provides a waxy,
homogeneous Homogeneity and heterogeneity are concepts often used in the sciences and statistics relating to the uniformity of a substance or organism. A material or image that is homogeneous is uniform in composition or character (i.e. color, shape, siz ...
, coating to prevent water loss from a surface and provide other protection.


Natural

Natural glazing agents keep moisture inside plants and insects. Scientists harnessed this characteristic in coatings made of substances classified as waxes. A natural wax is chemically defined as an ester with a very long hydrocarbon chain that also includes a long chain alcohol. Examples are: *
Stearic acid Stearic acid ( , ) is a saturated fatty acid with an 18-carbon chain. The IUPAC name is octadecanoic acid. It is a waxy solid and its chemical formula is C17H35CO2H. Its name comes from the Greek word στέαρ "''stéar''", which means ta ...
(E570) *
Beeswax Beeswax (''cera alba'') is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus ''Apis''. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive. The hive work ...
(E901) *
Candelilla wax Candelilla wax is a wax derived from the leaves of the small Candelilla shrub native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, '' Euphorbia antisyphilitica'', from the family ''Euphorbiaceae''. It is yellowish-brown, hard, brittle, a ...
(E902) *
Carnauba wax Carnauba (; pt, carnaúba ), also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a wax of the leaves of the carnauba palm ''Copernicia prunifera'' (synonym: ''Copernicia cerifera''), a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of ...
(E903) *
Shellac Shellac () is a resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes and dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and ...
(E904) *
Microcrystalline wax Microcrystalline waxes are a type of wax produced by de-oiling petrolatum, as part of the petroleum refining process. In contrast to the more familiar paraffin wax which contains mostly unbranched alkanes, microcrystalline wax contains a higher p ...
(E905c),
Crystalline wax Hydrogenated poly-1-decene is a colourless glazing agent. It is "a mixture of isoparaffinic molecules of known structure, prepared by hydrogenation of mixtures of tri-, tetra- penta- and hexa-1-decenes". It was reviewed in 2001 by the Scientific ...
(E907) * Lanolin (E913) *
Oxidized polyethylene wax Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...
(E914) * Esters of
colophonium Rosin (), also called colophony or Greek pitch ( la, links=no, pix graeca), is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene comp ...
(E915) * Paraffin


Synthetic

Scientists have produced glazing agents that mimic their natural counterparts. These components are added in different proportions to achieve the optimal glazing agent for a product. Such products include cosmetics, automobiles and food. *Some of the characteristics that are looked for in all of the above industries are: **1. Preservation - the glazing agent must protect the product from degradation and water loss. This characteristic can lead to a longer shelf life for a food or the longevity of a car without rusting. **2. Stability - the glazing agent must maintain its integrity under pressure or heat. **3. Uniform viscosity - this ensures a stronger protective coating that can be applied to the product as a homogeneous layer. **4. Industrial reproduction - because most glazing agents are used on commercial goods and therefore large quantities of glazing agent may be needed. There are different variations of glazing agents, depending on the product, but they are all designed for the same purpose.


References


See also

*
Glaze (cooking technique) In cooking, a glaze is a glossy, translucent coating applied to the outer surface of a dish by dipping, dripping, or using a brush. Depending on its nature and intended effect, a glaze may be applied before or after cooking. It may be either swe ...
*
Food coating Coating is an process that consists of applying a liquid or a powder into the surface of an edible product to convey new (usually sensory) properties. Coating designates an operation as much as the result of it: the application of a layer and t ...
, a comprehensive description of this unit operation in a food processing line. Food additives {{Ingredient-stub