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Buy bug juice drink11/24/2023 Present labels may indicate "color added," E120, or "natural color" when cochineal or carmine is present in the product. This reversal of their previous stance of ignoring this issue was in response to reports of severe allergic reactions to this coloring. The Food and Drug Administration has finally proposed that manufacturers must indicate the presence of the insect-derived colorings in their food products. They pointed out that we had focused on this food coloring back in 2002 when we wrote, "Tropicana Is Bugging Your Juice." Some of our readers noticed the flap over cochineal and carmine that made the news on January 28, 2006. The change will occur by the end of June. Starbucks plans to replace the cochineal with a tomato extract called lycopene. None of these products are currently kosher or vegan. Now customers won't have the opportunity to sip or chomp on the same old Strawberries and Creme Frappuchino, Strawberry Banana Smoothies, Raspberrry Swirl Cakes, Red Velvet Whoopee Pie, donuts with pink icing, and birthday cake pops. As we explained ten years ago in our initial story, carmine or cochineal appears in many products marketed to people who are unaware of its origin. Starbucks announced its products would no longer contain cochineal extract, a red coloring made from crushed insects. They Got the Message We Announced Ten Years Ago In order to create the acid, female insect bodies are dried and then boiled in water. CSPI acknowledges the carmine can cause allergic reactions in some people.Īccording the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, approximately 40,000 cochineal bugs are needed to produce one pound of cochineal extract for carminic acid. CSPI accuses Dannon of misleading customers who think fruit is responsible for the color of the yogurt. Prior to 2006, companies could use the phrase "natural color" if the product contained carmine. The latest criticism of Dannon was spearheaded by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) that was instrumental in the campaign to label products that contained carmine. Oikos Fat Free Greek Yogurt features the bug coloring in blueberry and strawberry. Carmine is found in Activia Light strawberry, strawberry banana, blueberry, and raspberry. The company obviously feels these products need a red boost that can only be achieved with crushed beetles.ĭannon also utilizes carmine in some of their Activia Light, Activia Harvest Picks Probiotic, Activia Fiber and Oikos Fat Free Greek Yogurts. Purchasers of Dannon yogurts will find "carmine" on the ingredient list of its "Fruit on the Bottom" yogurts in these flavors: boysenberry, cherry, strawberry, and raspberry. Tropicana does offer Farmstand Strawberry Banana, a 100% fruit and vegetable juice that is colored by strawberry puree and beet juice. Tropicana has not changed its formula for Red Grapefruit juice drink (30% juice) that still contains carmine along with a heavy dose of high fructose corn syrup. Starbucks removed the carmine from their products, substituting tomato lycopene powder. Both added cochineal or carmine derived from crushed insects to make their products more visually enticing. The distinguished list of companies includes Starbucks and Tropicana. The most recent flap involves Dannon using these crushed insects to brighten the appearance of some of their yogurts.ĭannon has joined the lineup of companies that find it necessary to crush insects to add color to some of its products. The cochineal/carmine food color issue just won't go away.
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