Ingredient Alert: Beetle juice

The red colour you see in beverages, ice-cream, yoghurt, lollies, lipstick, cosmetics, medicines and tablets could likely be from crushed beetles! The red dye has been:

extracted from the dried bodies of the cochineal insect.

That’s a bit creepy and also really sad. Poor little beetles.

Check the ingredients list for cochineal, carmines, carminic acid, 120 or E120 – they all mean the same thing – beetle juice!

Love Alana xx

* Photo sourced from Welsh Wildlife Photography