| Many manufacturers are grabbing every | | | | dictionary defines "carmine" as "a crimson or |
| opportunity to emphasise the presence of natural | | | | purplish-red color". Consumers are going to least |
| food coloring in the food they sell and quickly | | | | expect that "carmine" is actually an animal-based |
| abandoning artificial food dyes. Why? They have | | | | coloring from this living thing called cochineal. |
| recognised the craze for natural foods and know | | | | Perhaps, if it's printed as animal-based coloring, |
| that people are looking for healthier alternatives in | | | | cochineal instead of "natural food coloring", |
| their diet. A natural food coloring that is becoming | | | | whoever is cautious enough can go look up the |
| so popular in yogurts, candies, jams, sausage, | | | | dictionary to find out what "cochineal" is, and |
| milk, and even cosmetics now is "carmine". Now, | | | | vegetarians can also immediately avoid it! |
| before I tell you what "carmine" is, what does it | | | | At the end of the day, if consumers think they |
| sound like to you? Some nice herb, flower, or | | | | are fine with eating food with carmine added and |
| plant? | | | | there's nothing unhealthy about eating bugs. At |
| None of these. It's a bug, a red beetle. | | | | least it's consumers' final choice and decision. Like |
| Now, who is going to suspect that Red 4, Natural | | | | in the case of my 11-yr-old niece and seven-yr-old |
| Red, E120, Carminic acid, or Crimson Lake are | | | | daughter; both knew their packs of sweets have |
| food colorings obtained from some insect! As it's | | | | carmine added, both had the ingredient explained, |
| hardly within the expectation of an average | | | | and both surprisingly were not a bit bothered |
| consumer, it does come across as manufacturers | | | | when eating the sweets. And if they are not |
| being sneaky, vague and elusive in their ingredient | | | | getting any allergy reactions from ingesting |
| declaration, doesn't it? Can food authorities step | | | | carmine, and don't find eating sweets with the bug |
| out and insist on making things clearer for | | | | any less appetising, then I don't want to stop |
| consumers than now? | | | | them from eating them with all my might. |
| Well, in principle, I'm not going against the idea of | | | | Last warnings: Be extra careful from now on |
| eating food with a coloring from bug (though, yes, | | | | when you pick up a pack of rosy candies or fruit |
| I do feel very uncomfortable about it). The point | | | | juice. There may be more than meets the eye in |
| is, manufacturers should come clean with this | | | | "All Natural", "No Artificial Colorings Added" food |
| natural food coloring if they want to use it. My | | | | labels. |