Just REALLY disgusting!!

[Sugar Snap Pea]

Just read about a red food coloring used in SAD red and pink foods. They haven't had to list it until recently, but now they must, called "Carmine". Made from insets, here's a direct quote from the article: "Native to Peru, the beetles feed on red cactus berries. The berries' color accumulates in the female and its un-hatched larvae before the insects are then collected, dried and ground into pigment. It takes approximately 70,000 insects to produce one pound of carmine." :eek:

[mihai_alexandru73]

I've heard about this one... gross... and they label it in the packages as 'natural'. They don't mention any insects though.

[juliebove]

This is nothing new. They've been doing it since before I was born, and I'm almost 50.

[rsloan]

simply disgusting.

[spicyfull]

Thanks for Sharing.

[sport]

This is what they put in strawberry yogurts.

[adiebabe]

Meh....more protein. *giggle* Does it qualify as raw though...;)

[kally]

Yeek. Thanks for sharing.

[RawHeaven]

This is nothing new. They've been doing it since before I was born, and I'm almost 50.

Right on. I learned about it 20 years ago and it's why I stopped eating a lot of processed food, junk food in particular.

You'd be surprised how many people DO NOT KNOW, so I think it's wonderful to keep the flames of awareness burning.

Knowledge is power.

[greenfeline]

they also use it in a lot of makeup products. :(

[rawstrength]

If you see L-cysteine in processed foods, that is made from human hair.

[*RayRay*]

If you see L-cysteine in processed foods, that is made from human hair.

Ok, the bug thing doesn't bother me.....but human hair.....!!:eek: I just wonder which humans they get the hair from!! eek!

[rawstrength]

They get it mostly from barber shops in China.

[pixie_333]

those red bugs are or use to be in m&m's and is found in many pizza and pasta sauces.
and snapple tea boils bettles and uses the gew between the body and shell for flavoring in some of their teas.

and i don't remember the bug(s) name, but it's commonly used for a spray to give that shiney apparence on fruits.

"natural flavorings" law is suppose to change in some years giving better ingrediant descriptions because often times in vegetarian meals animal parts are included.

and i forget exactly.. but i think by law 10% insects are allowed to pass in foods??? i know it's said with organic chocolate less bugs are included.

the whole thing sickens me, but what can i do.

[pixie_333]

If you see L-cysteine in processed foods, that is made from human hair.

nothing is starting to shock me now. this is the first i've heard about this.

[adiebabe]

those red bugs are or use to be in m&m's and is found in many pizza and pasta sauces.
and snapple tea boils bettles and uses the gew between the body and shell for flavoring in some of their teas.

and i don't remember the bug(s) name, but it's commonly used for a spray to give that shiney apparence on fruits.

"natural flavorings" law is suppose to change in some years giving better ingrediant descriptions because often times in vegetarian meals animal parts are included.

and i forget exactly.. but i think by law 10% insects are allowed to pass in foods??? i know it's said with organic chocolate less bugs are included.

the whole thing sickens me, but what can i do.

The beetles to produce Carmine are Cochineal and in the U.S the new law will only require the label of Carmine, not that it comes from (crushed) insects. The shellac you mentioned on foods is a residue from the Lac beetle. It's not the actual bug (though they sometimes end up getting crushed in the process and are then removed from the final product).

One of the worst things about Carmine is that it can cause allergic reactions in people varying from sneezing to anaphylactic shock! And that's why your 'ruby Red' grapfruit juice looks so pretty....