Posted on 01/12/2011 8:47:40 AM PST by decimon
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will have you seeing red this year, but this time it's a good thing.
Since Jan. 5, the FDA has required food manufactures to disclose whether red cochineal beetles are among their products' ingredients. These beetles are farmed, harvested, dried and crushed to produce a red dye called carmine that, until this year, had been disguised in the ingredient list as "artificial color," "color added" or the all-encompassing "natural and artificial coloring."
Carmine provides pink, red and purple coloring to foods such as ice cream, yogurt, candy, and fruit drinks (should you permit that last one to be categorized as a food). Because of lax labeling laws, the extent of carmine in foods and drinks is not known.
>
And, really, God knows what crawfish are.
>
Some people are highly allergic to cochineal extract and its primary chemical ingredient, carminic acid. The coloring has been tied to dozens of cases of anaphylactic shock and near-death, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which petitioned the FDA way back in 1998 to require clearer labeling for cochineal-infused foods.
>
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Scarab sauce ping.
The FDA does some good things....
I still assume that bug parts in my chili is OK.
I'm on the libertarian side of things but I don't know of any free-market approach to such problems.
MMMMMMMMM... red cochineal beetles...
“The FDA does some good things....”
And without the need for a “Food Safety Modernization Act”!
I still assume that bug parts in my chili is OK.
There are insect parts in everything. Can't escape that fact.
Yes, that would be delicious!
I have a feeling this is not really about making Jews happy.
Since a beetle is a non-synthetic substance, it seems they could have labeled it 'natural color'.
But, what about Crunchy Frog and Spring Surprise?
Take your choice: Bugs or Chemicals.
Crunchy Frog was, of course, accurately labeled, and so could be sold under this regulation. Of course, it’s still extremely nasty.....
“Some people are highly allergic to cochineal extract and its primary chemical ingredient, carminic acid. The coloring has been tied to dozens of cases of anaphylactic shock and near-death, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI”
And, my liability for someone stranger’s genetic deficienc is? ? ?
Same for any other allergy - let the sufferer care for them self, not ban whatever may cause their genetic abnormality to be activated.
www.hotlix.com
I didn't see anything about a ban. This is about labeling.
Carmine made from red cochineal beetles was the dye used to color the red coats of the British Army during our Revolutionary War.
If you've ever ridden a motorcycle, you've eaten bugs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.