This one always shocks people the first time they hear it. Have you ever seen "carmine" on an ingredients label of some food in the red-purple color family? Yeah, you're eating bugs.

Carminic acid is extracted from the shells of certain insects.
And you're not necessarily safe if it doesn't say "carmine" - it can hide behind that glib reassurance, "natural ingredients" - which the food manufacturer is using in the first place because we started fretting over artificial coloring!

Molecules: You'd better learn to live with them.







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Comments
Quinones make me much more nervous than the bug thing. Though this one looks pretty water-soluble, probably easily excreted from the body...
Posted by: Vince Noir | January 30, 2008 10:58 PM
I knew this...I did my undergraduate research on carminic acid! I'll have to remind my kids...
Posted by: Michelle | January 30, 2008 11:21 PM
Me too Vince.
Anthraquinones are surprisingly common in plants:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emodin
http://scienceblogs.com/moleculeoftheday/2007/04/alizarin_not_so_mad_for_madder.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purpurin
Posted by: Molecule of the Day | January 31, 2008 12:00 AM
Carminic acid, quinones etc are so friendly compared to
Cr (VI) and nitrates that we drink in some places in Greece
http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.prnt_article?e=C&f=&t=10&m=A20&aa=1
on ecology
Posted by: yannis | January 31, 2008 3:55 AM
If anybody has problem with this noble food coloring because of its insect origins, I suggest he should also avoid all products that are sweetened with the bee vomit.
(And maybe eggs too.)
Posted by: milkshake | January 31, 2008 9:12 AM
Most of the people who would have a problem with carmine's insect origin wouldn't just "maybe" have a problem with eggs; they're "search for micrograms" vegans. Somehow, that group doesn't seem to have any problems with honey.
Posted by: ebohlman | January 31, 2008 8:57 PM