Thousands of mealybugs are crushed to make carmine.
Carmine is a bright red dye made from crushed cochineal insects, typically cochineal or Polish cochineal. This colorant is used in a wide variety of products, from cheeses to paints, and many times people are unaware of its use because labeling laws generally do not require its disclosure. Carmine has drawn a lot of attention in some communities, such as the vegetarian community, due to its use as a food additive.
Carmine may appear in the paint.
In many regions of the world, producers may simply use the euphemism “color added” to reveal the presence of carmine, but most consumers aren’t smart enough to know what that phrase means. The dye is also listed as lake crimson or natural red number four, and is identified in the European Union as E120. Sometimes it will be listed explicitly as “carmine” on a label or as “cochineal dye.”
Carmine can be featured in cosmetics.
To make carmine, growers collect thousands of mealybugs and grind them up. Depending on the conditions in which the insects are crushed, the color of the dye can vary considerably, and this is an important consideration for companies wishing to make uniform dyes. The crushing causes the insects to release carminic acid, a substance they generate to repel predators, and this can be treated to produce carmine.
Carmine can be used to make artificial flowers.
Pure carmine is red and very brittle. Dye is often adulterated with other materials to make it easier to handle and transport, and as a result its quality and safety can sometimes be difficult to control. Once prepared, it is sold to a wide variety of industries for use in things like textile inks, dyes, inks, foods, cosmetics, and artificial flowers.
As a food additive, carmine is of concern to some people. For vegetarians and people who follow food-restricted religions, the fact that this dye is often not labeled is very frustrating, as it can be difficult to avoid. Some people also have adverse reactions to carmine, which has led to pressure among food safety activists to clearly label it so that people who want to avoid it can do so.