So I read in the Berenbaum book about how the "yogurt beetle" was a myth, finding out that this red coloring she talks about is not technically a "beetle," but actually a different insect all together. When writing my 'Entomophagy' post I was looking up pictures to post on the blog. I ran across a picture that led me to this blog post. The blog discussed how red cochinea beetles are used to produce red and pink food coloring in different foods. It discusses the process of how the coloring is attained (through cooking fertilized eggs at degrees of 212 F). It also talks about how the coloring is used in make-ups, and lists many of the different foods it is used in. People are believed to buy brighter colored foods, thinking they are going to be more healthy and overall better for people. In the ingredients, however, there is a different name that is used than what the actual ingredient is; it is known to the world as "carmine" or Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470, or E120. But why are industries allowed to use these names instead of what these things actually are? People assume that other people would not want to buy a food that has bug eggs in them. Can you really blame them?
The vegan/vegetarian question is also called into question when issues such as this one occurs. Though I feel that people who want to lead this lifestyle should be very careful and read all of the ingredients on their foods, it is very hard to know that "carmine" is bug eggs unless it is looked up, which people should obviously do if they do not want to consume anything with a mother or that moves.
However, this does not bother me as much as consuming a full grown insect, or even an insect that has hatched or is in the next stage of life. All in all, though, I would still rather not consume any insects, though I know that wish will never ever come true.
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