Is Beeswax Safe for Food? Beeswax Wraps and Food Safety Explained

Wax on a cloth that sits right against your food. Is that safe? Yes, and here is the full reasoning: what the coating is made of, what you can safely wrap, and the two cases where you should pick something else.

What the coating actually consists of

The beeswax bread bag is sewn from cotton and linen. The inside is coated with beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin, and the bag closes with a clip. Beeswax wraps are cotton with beeswax and tree resin, and the set holds three sheets in sizes S, M and L.

None of this is plastic or synthetic. Here is how the work is shared out:

Why beeswax wraps cannot shed microplastics

Cling film is plastic. When it is torn off and thrown away, it breaks down into ever smaller pieces of plastic. That is why microplastics have become a talking point in the kitchen drawer.

Beeswax wraps have no plastic component to give off. When the coating wears, it is wax that comes loose. A small flake of wax in the breadcrumbs is the same wax used in lip balm and as the shiny glaze on fruit and sweets.

Once a sheet is worn out, you cut it up and put it in the compost. Cotton, beeswax and tree resin turn back into soil. That is why we say plastic-free, all-natural materials. More swaps like this are in the guide to a plastic-free kitchen.

Bee allergy: what you should know

Beeswax is not honey, and it is not pollen. The wax is the building material the bees make their combs from, and it is cleaned and filtered before it ends up in the fabric.

It is still a product from the hive, and a natural product can carry small traces of its surroundings. If you react strongly to honey, propolis or bee stings, be careful and use glass or a sealed container for your food instead.

We cannot judge what is safe for you in particular. If you are in any doubt, ask your doctor first.

Raw meat and raw fish do not belong here

This is the most important practical rule, and it is not about the wax but about the washing up. Surfaces that have been in contact with raw meat or raw fish have to be washed in hot water. Beeswax melts at around 62 to 65 degrees Celsius and softens as early as 35 to 40 degrees. So you cannot clean the sheet the way hygiene demands without ruining it.

Use a sealed glass container for raw ingredients. The sheets take care of everything else:

• Bread, rolls, bakes and cakes
• Cheese, both a whole piece and sliced
• Fruit, vegetables and fresh herbs
• Leftovers that have cooled down
• Dry goods such as nuts, biscuits and knekkebrød, the Norwegian crispbread

Cold and room-temperature food is home ground. Never put hot food straight onto a sheet. The full range of uses is in the guide to how to use beeswax wraps.

Children and packed lunches

The sheets work well in a lunch box. No loose parts, no sharp edges, and a child can fold the sheet without help: the warmth of a hand is enough to make it cling around a slice of bread or half a cucumber.

Two things are worth remembering. Use a clean sheet every day. And never lay a sheet against a flask of hot food: the wax softens as early as 35 to 40 degrees, and then the sheet loses its shape. More ideas are in the guide to a plastic-free matpakke, the Norwegian packed lunch.

Safe washing, step by step

1. 1
   Rinse in cold water straight after use

   Then food residue does not dry on, and as a rule that is all it takes.

2. 2
   Mild soap when needed

   A small blob of mild washing-up liquid, rubbed in with your fingers. Strong degreasers dissolve the wax.

3. 3
   Rinse until the soap is gone

   Carry on until the water runs clear.

4. 4
   Hang it up to air dry

   Only put the sheet back once it is completely dry. Damp fabric in the drawer can start to smell musty.

Never a dishwasher, and never hot water. If a sheet loses its cling, freshen it up in the oven at 80 to 90 degrees for about 2 minutes, laid between two sheets of baking paper. The bread bag is a different matter: it gets fresh wax with a pan, a water bath and a brush, never in the oven. Both methods are in the washing guide for the bread bag and in the care guide for the wraps.

Frequently asked questions