INS 901 is beeswax, numbered E901 in Europe. Honeybees secrete it to build their honeycomb; after the honey is extracted, the comb is melted, filtered and purified to give yellow beeswax, which can also be bleached white. Codex lists it as a carrier, emulsifier, glazing agent, stabilizer and thickener.
In confectionery it is mainly a glazing agent. A very thin layer, often combined with carnauba wax, coats gummies, jelly sweets and dragées, giving them a soft shine and stopping the pieces from sticking together in the bag. It is also used to coat some fruit and cheeses.
Because it is an insect product, beeswax is not vegan, though many vegetarians accept it. On SeekSnack it appears in Cororo Grape Jelly, whose additive list ends with beeswax and carnauba wax, the classic glazing pair.
