Food coloring E120 can be found in so many products. However, few people know that this is not a synthetically created additive, but a natural substance obtained in a very interesting way. It has been familiar to humanity for at least 1,500 years, because it is known for certain that even then the Indians dyed fabrics and yarn for them, and the inhabitants of ancient Armenia wrote them on parchment. Today, we are increasingly meeting it under the name "carmine." What is E120, where and how it is produced, and also in what products it has found its application today, we will try to make out in this article.
general information
Carmine, carmine acid, or cochineal are names for the same red colorant . The exact shade of this food coloring strongly depends on the acidity of the diluted composition. In acidic environments, the dye dyes in orange hues, in an environment with a neutral pH level, it turns red, and in low-acid or alkaline environments, its colors turn purple.
Why carmine is so popular with manufacturers
Cochineal began to be in special demand only in the 90s of the last century, then the production of E120 entered a new stage. Of all the natural dyes on the market, cochineal is considered the most resistant to various types of heat treatment and exposure to sunlight.
Today, carmine occupies more than ten percent of the total amount of natural food coloring used in the preparation of food products. In the modern food industry, E120 dye has found application in the production of jams, marmalades, drinks and various sauces. In meat and sausage production, raw smoked and cooked smoked products and balyks are painted using this substance. Knowing what carmine is, it is easy to guess that it is widely used in the confectionery industry as a dye for bright decorations of cakes, muffins and pastries. Cochineal is used in the preparation of certain types of ice cream, sweets and marmalades.
The use of E120 improves the appearance and commercial appearance of many familiar products. He gives them a natural and even color. Without it, many products would not look so attractive and appetizing.
In what other areas is cochineal used
In addition to the food industry, cochineal has found its application in the manufacture of cosmetics. It is necessarily present in the composition of lipsticks, blush and eyeshadow, as well as in creams, soaps, shampoos and other cosmetic preparations that have shades of red or orange.
What is carmine, was evaluated in pharmacology, so it is present in many medications. In microbiology and laboratory research, certain cells pigment with its help, which greatly facilitates the process of their study.
The food coloring E120 is added to the composition of artistic colors, so it is most often found in purple, red and orange colors.
What is dye made from?
Perhaps someone is a little shocked by the method of producing red carmine, because not everyone is ready to hear that this dye is made from dried insects. Rather, from the bodies of females and eggs of invertebrates of a certain kind. We are talking about a cochineal aphid, or, as it is also called, a scale insect that lives on the surface of some plants.
Production technology
Dactylopius coccus, or Coccus cacti (otherwise cochineal insects), can be found in the southern parts of the globe. Peru, South and Central America, the Canary Islands, Turkey, Mexico, Iran, Armenia are the favorite habitats of this creature. During the period of sexual activity, the abdomen of females acquire a bright red color due to the large amount of carminic acid produced in their body. It is during this period that insects are collected, dried, cleaned and ground. The resulting powder is placed in a liquid solution of sodium carbonate and left there for some time.
The body length of females of this species of aphids is no more than one centimeter, and in order to gain the required number of insects, a huge number of individuals will be required. Therefore, answering the question of what is carmine, we can safely say that these are shells of the bodies of millions of cochineal females processed in a certain way.
Obtaining a natural food coloring is a rather long and laborious process. It requires a huge amount of feedstock. Therefore, natural cochineal is one of the most expensive natural dyes. Of course, today there are its artificial analogues, obtained synthetically.
Properties of natural cochineal
Insects used as the main raw material for the production of dye are absolutely safe for humans. The dye itself is considered a harmless additive, therefore it is used in the food industry of most European and Asian countries. However, violations of the process of cooking food, in particular with an increase in the permissible level of carmine, lead to possible poisoning.
In addition, among consumers there is a small percentage of allergy sufferers who may experience symptoms of intolerance to the natural food supplement E120 or its analogues. In extremely rare cases, allergic reactions of the human body can be detected when using cosmetics in which this dye is present. That is why manufacturers, in the presence of this substance in the food product, are required to indicate carmine as a part. What such a substance is present in the composition of biologically active additives, drugs and cosmetics, must also be indicated in the list of their components. Therefore, people suffering from any allergy symptoms need to carefully study the labels of purchased goods. Consumers who do not have any allergy symptoms can use products containing E120 without fear for their health. In this case, cochineal is absolutely safe if the amount consumed does not exceed the permissible norm. However, these products are not recommended for young children.