Is there an insect that colors our food?

Arabia Weather - An average trip to the grocery store can produce a cart full of colorful foods, as red stands out among the rainbow colors found among the products, and this color adds beauty to products such as raspberry and cherry jam, strawberry jam, and red velvet cake. What is noteworthy is that the source of this red color is a well-known small insect.

It is produced by harvesting cochineal bugs, which are small, oval-shaped insects about 0.2 inches long, and then transformed into natural dyes and extracts such as cochineal and carminic acid. This color has been used to color food, clothing, and beauty products for centuries.

Cochineal worm

The cochineal, also known as the cochineal with the scientific name Dactylopius coccus, is a small insect with a bright purple color whose round body is covered with a light white waxy layer. This insect lives in tropical and subtropical regions on cactus plants, and is widespread in the American continent.

What distinguishes this insect is its ability to produce cochineal dye, which is used in the manufacture of red, orange, and cochineal dyes. This dye is distinguished by its quality and stability, which makes it popular for use in a variety of industries.

The history of the use of this insect goes back to Latin America, specifically Mexico, where it was used to dye fabrics and textiles since ancient times, and this insect is still used today because of its cultural status and distinctive quality as a source of dyes.

Uses of cochineal

The cochineal is a valuable source of carminic acid extract, and this acid is known commercially by several names such as cochineal extract, natural red color 4, E120, and C.I. 75470 , sometimes referred to as natural and by other names, carminic acid is used in a variety of applications, including:

• Food and drinks

Carminic acid is used by adding it to soft drinks, energy drinks, and juices. In addition, it is used in the manufacture of processed meat products, sausages, frozen fish, dairy products such as cheese, yoghurts, ice cream, sweets, canned fruits, ketchup, canned and powdered soups, and many other applications. .

• makeup

Carminic acid is added to hair and skin care products, in addition to being used to color cosmetic products such as lipstick, blush, eye shadow powder, and many other beauty-related products.

• pharmaceutical

Carminic acid is used to color medicines such as pills and ointments, which contributes to improving the appearance of pharmaceutical products.

• Other uses

Carminic acid also finds applications in dyeing various fabrics and textiles, in addition to its use in fine arts, where it is used to color famous paintings such as those of Peter Paul Rubens, and other designs that are displayed in international museums.

Find alternatives to natural dyes

Today, traditional labor-intensive harvesting methods are facing increasing pressure; Due to the increase in demand, the prices of natural dyes rise. For this reason, some researchers are studying genetic engineering as a way to produce carminic acid in a cheaper, faster, and more sustainable manner, and these scientists believe that these efforts, although currently experimental, could meet the needs of people looking for non-animal sources of color in food.

In this context, synthetic biologist Rasmus J. from the University of Technology in Denmark says:

“It has the potential to achieve a qualitative leap in the production of this compound.”

The history of carminic acid goes back thousands of years, when it was used to dye Phoenician clothing bright red, using crushed carminic scale insects. The colors were also used to decorate vermilion goods during the reigns of the Maya and Aztec empires.

In the 16th century, the Spaniards recorded the widespread harvesting, preparation, and trade of cochineal in the New World. Fascinated by the insect's distinctive color, the dried insects were shipped by the tons to Europe to replace the dull dyes that were being used there.

This red color spread throughout the world like wildfire, as it contributed to the establishment of empires, decorated religious clothing, and appeared in wonderful artistic paintings, making it a precious commodity competing with silver and gold.

Also know:

The weeping tree, the history of its discovery, and its many uses

How old is the oldest water on Earth?

Sources:

knowablemagazine

mawdoo3