SC - Kosher Foods

[LrdRas@aol.com]

Here is some quick info on cochineal:

Cochineal extract is a coloring extracted from the eggs of the
cochineal beetle, which lives on cactus plants in Peru, the Canary
Islands, and elsewhere. Carmine is a more purified coloring made
from cochineal. In both cases, the actual substance that provides the
color is carminic acid. These colorings, which are extremely stable,
are used in some red, pink, or purple candy, yogurt, Campari, ice
cream, beverages, and many other foods, as well as drugs and
cosmetics. These colorings have caused allergic reactions that range
from hives to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. It is not known
how many people suffer from this allergy. The Food and Drug
Administration should ban cochineal extract and carmine or, at the
very least, require that they be identified clearly on food labels so
that people could avoid them. Natural or synthetic substitutes are
available. A label statement should also disclose that, Carmine is
extracted from dried insects so that vegetarians and others who
want to avoid animal products could do so. 

>From Chemical Cuisine:CSPI's Guide to Food Additives
http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#Cancer




> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Jennifer Carlson [SMTP:JCarlson at firstchurchtulsa.org]
> Sent:	Thursday, March 18, 1999 7:39 AM
> To:	'sca-cooks at ansteorra.org'
> Subject:	SC - RE: A Different Egg Question
> 
> Cochineal is used as a food dye, as well as for fabric.  It gives pink 
> grapefruit juice its commercially-desired pink tint, and is behind the 
> policy of many a church injunction against red fruit punches at
> receptions. 
>  I've noticed a couple of products in the last few years that have changed
> 
> to using the word "kermes" instead - guess they realized that lots of
> folks 
> know what cochineal really is.  A dye expert can tell you about the 
> differences between cochineal and kermes (different species of bugs, both 
> of which yield a red pigment).
> 
> Talana
> Jcarlson at firstchurchtulsa.org
> 
> 
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