Milkshakes, cupcakes, and gummy bears… are they really made from crushed insects? Well, if they are colored bright red most likely they are. But thankfully, Danish-based bioscience company Chr. Hansen developed an alternative to this insect-based coloring (carmine) by using potatoes. It took ten years to breed the perfect, highly-pigmented, vibrant red, sweet potato, in which Chr. Hansen company successfully accomplished. They called it the Hansen sweet potato.
What Exactly Is Carmine?
Carmine is made from crushed cochineal bugs. They are frequently found in cacti plantations within Latin American countries. Cochineals are mainly harvested in Peru and the Canary Islands.
The bugs are placed into bags once they are brushed off of the cacti, these bags are then brought to the carmine production plant. Then, they are either immersed into hot water, exposed to sunlight, steamed or heated. Once the carmine is extracted from the bug, it is dried, then ground into a powder. An acidic alcohol solution then turns the powder into carminic acid.
The cochineal’s bright red color comes from carminic acid. Almost a quarter of the bug’s weight is made up from this, it is meant to keep insect predators away, but in this case, it attracted human predators.
Thousands of years ago, Incas and Aztecs used these bugs as a dye. Cochineal was so valuable that bags of it were used as currency or as gifts. The Spaniards took cochineal back to Spain because it was a higher quality red dye than they were using in Europe at that time. It was used to dye the Roman Catholic Cardinal cloaks and the British army’s ‘redcoats’.
Now, carmine is still big in business. In 2017, Peruvian farmers made $46.4 million exporting around 650 tons of carmine.
Why Search For Carmine Alternatives?
It takes 70,000 individual insects just to make one pound of red food coloring. Is it worth it, just because we like certain things to look a certain way? Are we willing to kill billions of innocent insects?
Fortunately for the planet, environment, and the animals, the rapid growth of people adopting vegan lifestyles are motivating more companies to develop animal-friendly products. In 2012 Starbucks stopped using carmine in its strawberry and crème frappucino when consumer pressure pushed Starbucks to stop using it.
Up until 2009, it wasn’t required for Carmine to be specifically listed on ingredients labels. It was hidden under names such as ‘artificial coloring’ or ‘color added’. However, enough people had severe allergic reactions to the bug so the FDA made it a requirement to include carmine by name in the ingredients list.
Other synthetic alternatives to carmine do exist but they have an unpleasant aftertaste and a short shelf life.
The Hansen Sweet Potato
“Over 10 years ago we discovered a promising pigment in a root vegetables’ tuber, but the plant’s pigment content was on the low side,” said Jakob Dalmose Rasmussen — vice president of commercial development at Chr. Hansen. “We took this plant and embarked on a process of selective breeding using traditional, non-GMO methods. The result is a plant-based brilliant red that gives our customers a natural alternative to carmine and synthetic colors,” he added.
The potato is also heat-stable and light which is ideal for baking. Efforts to use beetroot, purple carrot, and black carrots failed because it was not heat-stable or light, and it gave a pinkish color rather than a bright red.
Foods And Beauty Products Currently Using Carmine
Red meat, strawberry milkshakes, ice cream, yogurts, and red candy – anything bright red is likely to have carmine inside.
Carmine isn’t just added to food products, it’s also in cosmetics. You’re basically smearing dead bugs onto your lips when you’re putting that bright red lipstick on. Even if brands promote themselves as eco-friendly or natural they can still be using carmine in their products.
Carmine is also used in artificial flowers, paints, crimson colored ink, and medications.
How Can You Avoid Carmine?
If you want to avoid crushed beetles check your labels thoroughly and choose the companies you buy from carefully. Purchase products from companies that specifically disclose 100% of the ingredients on the label or are 100% vegan. If a product is vegan it should be 100% bug-free.
Knowing all the different names of carmine is helpful so that you know what you’re looking for when checking the label. Carmine is also known as cochineal, cochineal extract, crimson lake, carmine lake, natural red 4, C.I. 75470, or E120.
