Allervibe
E120
Cochineal / Carminic acid
A red pigment extracted from the dried bodies of the cochineal insect Dactylopius coccus.
i Additive Details
| Is E120 Cochineal / Carminic acid safe?
E120 comes from an insect, so it is neither vegan nor vegetarian, and many kosher and halal authorities do not accept it. IgE-mediated allergic reactions are documented, including urticaria, asthma and anaphylaxis, and are attributed to residual insect proteins rather than to carminic acid itself. Occupational asthma has been described in workers handling the raw material. In the EU it must always appear in the ingredients list as cochineal, carminic acid, carmines or E 120, although it is not one of the 14 allergens subject to mandatory declaration.
| Uses
Colours yoghurts, confectionery, fruit fillings, surimi, sausages and cured meats, soft drinks, aperitifs and liqueurs, and it is widely used in lipstick and other cosmetics. It gives stable red, pink and purple shades that resist heat and light better than most plant pigments. In solid foods the form used is carmine, the aluminium lake of carminic acid.
| Interactions
The colour shifts with pH — orange in acid, red at neutral, purple in alkaline conditions — so it is normally stabilised with aluminium as carmine lake. Manufacturers moving away from the red azo dyes often use it instead of, or alongside, E122 and E124. Calcium and aluminium salts in the formulation affect the final shade.
| Origin
Natural, of animal origin. It is extracted with hot water or alcohol from the dried female insects of Dactylopius coccus, farmed on prickly pear cactus mainly in Peru and the Canary Islands. Carminic acid is the pigment itself; carmine is its aluminium lake, made by precipitating the extract with aluminium salts.
| Daily Intake
EFSA re-evaluated E120 in 2015 and kept the existing intake limit but restated it in terms of the pigment: an ADI of 2.5 mg of carminic acid per kg of body weight per day, corresponding to the earlier figure of 5 mg/kg for carmine, which contains roughly 50% carminic acid. The ADI covers general toxicity only and offers no protection to people who react allergically, for whom small amounts can be enough.
Information is sourced from public regulatory bodies (EFSA, FDA, WHO) and is for reference only. Always read the package and consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
Related additives
- E171 Titanium dioxide A white mineral pigment used as a colorant and opacifier.
- E104 Quinoline yellow A synthetic greenish-yellow dye of the quinophthalone class, used to colour food, drink and medicines.
- E110 Sunset yellow FCF A synthetic orange-yellow azo dye, known in the United States as FD&C Yellow No. 6.
- E122 Azorubine (carmoisine) A synthetic bluish-red azo dye, also sold under the name carmoisine.
- E124 Ponceau 4R A synthetic red azo dye, also called cochineal red A, with no connection to cochineal insects.
- E129 Allura red AC A synthetic red azo dye, known in the United States as FD&C Red No. 40.
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