You are going to freak when you hear this.....Did you know that the coloring used in maraschino cherries (and other candies, some yogurts, and even mouthwash) is actually derived from crushed beetles? I am not lying. This isn't brand new news, but it doesn't get a lot of talk either. My guess is most people don't know. Well, beetles provide carmine coloring to lots of items. It is the pink, orange, red, purple coloring. I mentioned some uses already, but other examples would be fruit fillings, antacids, and medications. It is considered "coloring exempt from certification" because it comes from natural sources of pigment. Um, yeah, beetles are natural.
The good news is, it probably won't kill you. I said probably. The bad news is, it can cause allergic reactions. I said can, that doesn't mean it does. Something may happen to the protein when it is heat processed that changes it to be more allergenic. A reaction might include skin reaction, headache, flushing, hives, and sneezing.
Oh, and it is also used in lots of cosmetics....hmmmm.
How do you avoid this? It's hard. Start with no more pink or red foods that are "colored" and don't use funky colored mouthwash. Other than that, you can't really tell from a label what has been used to provide the coloring. One of those little industry secrets.
The inspiration for this blog comes from Michele Deppe, freelance health reporter and Associate Editor of Today’s Diet & Nutrition magazine. She brought up beetles first!
Check out www.rudog.net for more information, links, and references to this blog.
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