"dyes" news and stories

According to today's Wall Street Journal, some "artificial colors" in food aren't so artificial. The vivid orange and red colorings made from crushed, dried beetles, such as "carmine " and "cochineal", do not have to be revealed on ingredient labels under current FDA regulations. Colorings from crushed beetles are used in foods such as Good & Plenty candy, Tropicana Orange Strawberry Juice and Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Boysenberry yogurt.

After facing pressure from consumer groups, the Food and Drug Administration is soon expected to publish a new food labeling proposal for public review. New guidelines would require companies to disclose insect-derived colorings. Vegetarian and kosher groups were among the leaders of the movement to change labeling guidelines. Some companies currently list colors like "carmine" along with their ingredients, though many consumers do not know precisely what it is. Opponents of the labeling change argue that when other animal products are listed, their source is not revealed, saying "'Butter' doesn't say 'from cow.'"