Cochineal (E120) is a dye obtained from… insects. Cochineal is therefore a dye of natural origin. However, despite this, there are questions about its harmfulness and negative effects on the body. Check if cochineal is safe for he alth and in what products it is found.

Cochineal (E120)is a red dye, an organic substance of natural origin that is obtained from… insects. Cochineal has been known since antiquity. In many cultures, it has been used to dye fabrics, decorate objects, and paint pictures. Currently, cochineal is used in the production of food, cosmetics, some pharmaceuticals, colored fabrics, and arts and crafts.

Cochineal (E120) - insect dye

This red dye can be made from several types of insects: Cactus Scots (Dactylopius coccus), Armenian Scots (Porphyrophora hamelii), Kermes (Kermes vermilio) and Polish Scots (Porphyrophora polonica).

Cactus plugs are collected in the wild or grown on plantations. The red pigment accounts for about 25% of the total. dry mass of their bodies. After collection, the insects are killed by treating them with high temperatures. This can be done by cooking, using hot steam or hot air.

Then the insects are dried in the sun or in furnaces until they reach 30 percent. its original mass. The next stage is the extraction of the dye from the ground insects with boiling water with the addition of ammonia or bicarbonate. The color of the finished dye is slightly different depending on the method.

Cochineal can be found interchangeably under many names: E 120, carmine, carminic acid, natural red 4, cochineal dye.

A dye solution is obtained, which is then evaporated and dried until a powder is obtained. The quality of the dye depends on the conditions of its preparation - temperature, lighting, type of fillers and particle size.

The main component of the E 120 dye is carminic acid, which accounts for over 95% of its all pigments. It is carminic acid that is obtained through extraction. The main component of cochineal can combine with aluminum and calcium ions to form carmine chelates.

Worth knowing

According to European Union legislationboth carminic acid and its chelates are marked with the same symbol E 120 and the same recommendations for use apply to them. The finished product, in addition to the pigments, may contain protein components derived from insects in an amount not exceeding 2.2%. Cochineal is sold as 5 percent. water solution or water-insoluble powder.

Cochineal (E120) - properties

Cochineal comes in the form of a liquid or a brown-red powder. Carminic acid dissolves well in water, its chelates with aluminum also, but only in an alkaline environment. Depending on the pH of the cochineal solution, it takes a slightly different color. In acidic solutions it is orange, in slightly acidic and neutral - red, and in alkaline - purple.

At pH below 3.5, it partially loses its properties and a black precipitate forms. Carmines, or chelates of carminic acid, are much more stable than carminic acid itself, which is why they are of greater importance in the industry. Carmines are one of the most durable dyes. They are resistant to light, heat and oxidation.

  • Does Sodium GLUTAMINATE Harm Your He alth?
  • Potassium sorbate (E202) - properties and application
  • Sodium benzoate (E211) - properties, application, harmfulness
  • NITRATES and NITRATES in food - sources, impact on he alth

Cochineal (E120) in food. What products does it contain?

Cochineal in food can be in:

  • alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
  • sweets and cakes
  • meat products
  • sausage casings
  • red cheeses
  • cheese casings
  • fruit preserves
  • sauces
  • jelly
  • yoghurt
  • ice cream
  • pickled
  • surimi

Cochineal (E120) - harmfulness. Is it safe for he alth?

Although cochineal is a natural dye, it is not completely safe for your he alth. There have been reports of a severe allergic reaction, asthma attack and anaphylactic shock after consuming cochineal products.

For this reason, since 2009, producers are obliged to clearly indicate the presence of this dye not only in the composition of food, but also in cosmetics. In addition, the use of cochineal in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals that come into contact with the eyes has been prohibited.

  • PRESERVANTS in cosmetics - what should you know about them?

People prone to allergies and asthmatics should be careful about products with cochineal. Caution is also advised in the case of young children and pregnant women.

Important

Cochineal (E120) - what dose is safe?

In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority issued an updated opinion on Cochineal as a food additive. The ADI (acceptable daily intake - amount of a substance that can be consumed daily throughout life without harm to he alth) was set for E120 at 2.5 mg / kg body weight. This additive was not found to be carcinogenic or genotoxic at the same time.

Sources:

1. Solymosi K. et al., Food color additives of natural origin, in: Color additives for food and beverages, 2015, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273767472_Food_colour_additives_of_natural_origin
2. Kendrick A., Carminic acid / carmine, in: Natural Food Additives, Ingredients and Flavourings, 2012
3. EFSA, Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of cochineal, carminic acid, carmines (E 120) as a food additive, https: / /efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4288
4. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/jecfa_additives/docs/Monograph1/Additive-137 .pdf

About the authorAleksandra Żyłowska-Mharrab, dietician Food technologist, dietitian, educator. A graduate of Biotechnology at the Gdańsk University of Technology and Nutritional Services at the Maritime University. A supporter of simple, he althy cuisine and conscious choices in everyday nutrition. My main interests include building permanent changes in eating habits and individually composing a diet according to the body's needs. Because the same thing is not he althy for everyone! I believe that nutritional education is very important, both for children and adults. I focus my activities on spreading knowledge about nutrition, analyze new research results, and make my own conclusions. I adhere to the principle that a diet is a lifestyle, not strict adherence to meals on a sheet of paper. There is always room for delicious pleasures in he althy and conscious eating.

Category:

What do you eat