Carmine is a natural red color used in foods and other products and is made from insect shells. But it doesn’t need to be listed as anything other than *Natural flavors*. Some products hide it like that and others list it as *Carmine*.
My daughter is allergic to it and was breaking out in hives from it. It took us some time to track it down, but we finally tied it to extremely dark chocolate, which uses that to make it so dark.
Scientists Are Making Cochineal, a Red Dye From Bugs, in the Lab
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/scientists-are-making-cochineal-a-red-dye-from-bugs-in-the-lab-180979828/
“Natural” isn’t always better.
“My daughter is allergic to it and was breaking out in hives from it.”
OMG...what a nightmare. Glad you tracked it down.
Sorry about your daughters allergy, I have allergies myself, not fun… however trying to equate her allergies with passing off petroleum as food is a bit of a stretch, no?
Red #3 is not food by any definition, no living creature, beyond some very specialized microbes are ever found eating petroleum. It is known to contributes to neurological issues and many other things.. it’s not food.
Extracting color from bugs shells may not sound appetizing, but bugs are things that do get and can be eaten. Petroleum is not a food.