Is There A Bug in Your Juice?
Pressed by consumer advocates, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to publish a food-labeling proposal online today that would require companies to disclose when a food contains beetle derived colorings including vivid-red “carmine” and bright-orange “cochineal” (pronounced coach-in-EEL). The public has 60 days to comment before a final ruling is made.
Under current FDA regulations, food labels must identify certain man-made colorings by name, such as FD&C Red No. 40. But for carmine, cochineal and other naturally occurring ingredients such as “color added” or, oddly, “artificial color.”
Bugged by the loophole, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington public-health advocacy group, and a small but vocal group of consumers who are allergic to the ingredients have pushed for stiffer rules, Joining the chorus are vegetarians, who don’t want to eat insects, and consumers observing kosher dietary practices. Products containing carmine “may look like kosher,” but they aren’t, says Rabbi Moshe Elefant, chief operating officer of the kosher division of the Orthodox Union, a leading certifier of kosher products. “There are a lot of people who will not be happy to know that they are eating products that contain dried beetle.”
Products containing cochineal-derived colorings
§ Good & Plenty candy
§ Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Boysenberry yogurt
§ Yoplait Thick & Creamy Low Fat yogurt
§ Tropicana Ruby Red Grapefruit juice
§ Tropicana Orange Strawberry Banana juice
§ SoBe Courage Cherry Citrus drink
Source: WSJ research
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