Red food dye, oh gross!

Yeah, I found that out a few years ago. I don't really eat anything with red color, except an occasional candy and mostly I eat straight chocolate or carob. It doesn't really bother me all too much because it's mostly the exoskeleton and it's thoroughly cleaned and crushed. There are a lot of cultures that eat bugs, anyway, and they don't seem to hurt them.

Okay....I think I could have lived without that info! LOL....very interesting! I never knew what it was made out of and now I'll keep it to myself and not wreck it for others.....maybe! LOL

Well that is kinda gross to know but I love my red foods im not gonna stop. Im just gonna pretend I Didnt hear this lol.

.it is so gross. do ypu think for red food dye they always use those beetles? if so, Oh My God!I just can't think of it. i think there are other chemicals also from which they make it.

you'd never want to see the FDA's list of acceptable foreign matter in foods,then ;) it is a gross out,but chances are,i'd still eat it. i like maraschino cherries too much. i am surprised they're still using it though..

I have known this for a while, but I never let it bother me, I just do not think about it! I do not use red food dye much anyway. I will have to remember to tell my kids about it though, I do not think I have ever told them what it is made out of, I bet they will not believe me though!

It used to be that red dye was from some chemical and that caused cancer. So to me red food dye from the shells of an insect is much better. I would go for natural dyes anytime. That is much better than finding out later that dye you used to make those colored roses on your cake was the thing that caused you. I had no idea what made was in the old red dye, but I remember we could not eat the red smarties.

Ok, you've officially made me never want to use red food dye again LOL That's just gross. Thanks for responding!! **AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~

I've known this for ages and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. After all i'm not a vegetarian, i eat plenty of meat so eating other foods that contain animal ingredients doesn't bother me. Maybe you are more bothered by the idea of eating bugs? I'm going to freak you out even more now by telling you that cochineal is not just use as a food dye, but is also produced cosmetic grade and used as a dye to colour cosmetics and toiletries. I guess it's not something cosmetic/toiletry manufacturers want you to know! If it bothers you i'd recommend buying only vegetarian or vegan cosmetics and toiletries.

I remember going off anything that was red after being told in high school that red colouring came from the cochineal beetle! Now that I remember i will probably go off all things red again for a while - at least til I forget! lol xx

I hadn't heard this before, but it probably won't affect my eating habits. There used to be these hot dogs called red hots, and they were really red. They eventually discovered that the red dye they used in the hot dogs was harmful in some way, and quit putting the dye in. I always thought they tasted better with the dye in them. It's not pleasant to think about eating ground up beetles in food, but there are many foods that are processed with a certain percentage of unintentional insect parts. I just try to not think about it.

I was really hoping that this was an urban legend but it is not. Check it out here: http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/bugjuice.asp Al I have to say is EWWWWW!!!!!! I'm sticking to red Dye #40

I had no idea bugs/beetles were used and food coloring...yuck!!! I'm sure there are oodles more disgusting things that we have no idea about that go into our food as filler, etc. After my husband toured a meat packing plant he wouldn't eat hot dogs at all. Even now he'll have one, but it's very rare and it has to be a certain kind. I'm sure cheap hot dogs are the worst. Thanks for sharing.

Cochineal indeed yuck no more red food dye in anything for me.I suppose that it is in foodstuffs that are dyed also again yuck.

That is too gross. I don't eat anything with any dye in it anyway lol. I will only eat natural chocolate, nothing like that and I sure don't give any of that to my kids. Eating bugs.... hmmm wonder what those folks on Fear Factor thought of it?

It isn't really news to me, my friend. We've always called red food dye Cochineal over here, in England. I don't tend to buy it any more. I buy my colourings from a Sugarcraft shop, which are EEC approved and don't contain ground up beetles! Brightest Blessings.

Now here is an interesting tid bit, I did not know this. It does not surprise me. I think I am with you however and will now make sure I am getting beet coloring, I think the kids might eat more red colored food than I do. I will now have to start watching.

When I was little we used cochineal to make pink icing for cupcakes. My mother said it was made from beetles blood. It didn't faze me then and it still doesn't...how weird I am.

I really do think this is so disgusting! My daughter is allergic to red dye. Some dyes bother her worse then others and I am assuming it has something to do with some red dyes are different then others. I assume since her reaction is also worse with more amounts of certain products that some things contain more dye in them. She gets hives all over her body for days after eating something with the red dye in it. I think she can have barbeque sauce with no problem but she cant eat gummie fruit snack things. There are a lot of things with red dye that she cant eat. I really don't think that the bug that makes the red dye is in ALL red dyes. I think its only in certain ones. I know snapple uses this bug to make the drinks colored. Not sure about any other brands. If there is warning labels on things like made in a factory that processes peanuts etc then any product that contains things we wouldnt expect like this bug for instance should have a warning label on that! Maybe I should look into that!

*raises hand* vegan here! I knew this in primary school! Where have you people been living?! lol, actually... I like bugs, and come from a family of chefs, bakers and cooks... so one way or another I found it out, but have no idea when or how it was so long ago. I don't think there is any real issue here. You eat bird periods (we usually call them eggs)? You eat burgers (not going to get into it... eugh)?