I was at the movies with a friend this past Saturday (fyi, Black Swan is a great movie!), and I decided to treat myself to a box of Hot Tamales. I hadn't had them in months, and I was enjoying every bite. At least, I did until I looked at the ingredients. Aside from the usual bad ingredients, I found Red #3, Red #40, Yellow #5, Yellow #6, Blue #1, Blue #2 Lake. Huh? So, I decided to do what I always do... Research!
It turns out we are consuming beetles! Yep, and it's legal to use bugs as food dye without listing the poor little critters in the ingredients! Why thank you FDA for keeping the wool over our eyes once again! The good news is, due to the growing number of vegetarians, vegans, people with food allergies, and those following a kosher lifestyle, the FDA is considering putting out a requirement that food using these bug-based ingredients list it on their packaging. Except they won't call it "beetles" or "bugs", etc. They'll fancify it with names most won't think about such as "cochineal (a color extracted from the eggs of a cochineal beetle)". In fact, cochineal has sent people into life-threatening anaphylactic shock!
According to the Wall Street Journal, crushed female cochineal beetles are used in the dye for certain juices, yogurt, and candy. Yikes! Luckily, most of that is the super sugary stuff we all try to stay away from... Right? Hint hint! Not ALL dyes are made from beetles. Other than beetles and Carotenoids (made from red salmon!!), there are natural colorants as well, such as Anthocyanins (from berries, red cabbage, sweet potato), Betacyanins (from red beets, cactus fruit, etc.), Caramel (from heated sugars), Chlorophylls (from green plant leaves), etc. For a more complete and informative list, check out http://www.answers.com/topic/food-coloring Also, don't forget, gelatin is made from crushed up cow skin, bones, and cartilage, while Stearic Acid (it's in chocolate and vitamins) is made from the fatty substances in the little tummies of the dogs and cats euthanized at the shelter. :( There is a more extensive list of similar, shady ingredients on PETA's website, along with a lengthy list of candy and snacks that are critter-free: http://www.petakids.com/candy.asp
Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers are our faves. Happy to see them on the list!!! :)
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