Q & A Library

True. The additives in question are the natural coloring agents carmine and cochineal, made from crushed female beetles found in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, South Africa, and the Canary Islands. Because they're made from insects, these additives are considered "natural" by the FDA. Carmine and cochineal are used to color some foods pink or red and tend to be found in juices, cherries in canned fruit cocktails, artificial crab meat, strawberry milk drinks, and some fruit-flavored yogurts. (Other beetle products are used to make confectioner's glaze, an ingredient in the shiny coating of some candies.) If you are vegan or vegetarian or just don't want to eat bugs, you will want to avoid food products listing "carmine," "cochineal," or "confectioner's glaze" on labels. Note that according to the FDA, carmine and cochineal are also used in 815 cosmetic products including blushes and eye shadows.

The FDA is now considering action that would either ban the additives or change labeling rules requiring food companies to state that a product contains additives made from insects. The motive here has nothing to do with vegetarians. Rather, a small number of people have allergic reactions to the insect proteins, flushing, hives, headaches, eczema, sneezing and, rarely, anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. To avoid products containing carmine and cochineal, don't buy any pink or red foods whose ingredients include artificial coloring or added coloring.

As unappetizing as these beetle-derived food colorings may sound, they may not be as dangerous as synthetic food dyes. Those chemicals may interact with DNA to accelerate aging and increase the risk of cancer. Many synthetic food dyes once considered safe have turned out to be carcinogenic. Some approved for use in Europe are considered unsafe here and vice versa.

Dyes are added to foods for the convenience of the manufacturer, not for the health of the consumer. Luckily, these are among the easiest types of food additives to avoid. Try to convey to your children that garishly colored snack foods are weird and unhealthy rather than attractive, and make it a rule not to buy them. Watch out for labels that list any of the following terms: "color added," "artificial color added," "U.S. certified color added," "FD & C red no.3" (or green or blue or yellow followed by any number; these are FDA approved food, drug, and cosmetic dyes).

I have no objection to foods containing natural colors obtained from plants. The most common, annatto, is from the reddish seed of a tropical tree. It is widely used in Latin American cooking to make yellow rice and breads, and is also commonly added to butter and cheese to make them yellow or orange. Other safe food colorings are caramel, carotene from carrots (which may be listed as "carrot oil") a red pigment obtained from beets (listed as "beet juice") and a green one from chlorella (freshwater algae).

Andrew Weil, M.D.