where does red dye/food colouring come from?
2006-06-08 11:15:24 · 9 answers · asked by dylancircus 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Most red food colouring these days comes from coal tar.
In the past, up to the 1960s in fact, it was normal to use cochineal as a red food dye, and cochineal is extracted from beetles (not from cockroaches).
There are still some food products that use cochineal as their red colouring but they are very rare. Those are the products that proudly proclaim "No Artificial Colouring". There's no artifical colouring because its all natural insect.
So no, red food colouring does not and never has come from cockroaches. It does sometimes come from beetles.
2006-06-08 11:53:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is artifically produced in a lab somewhere.
The cockroach myth comes from the truth that in the past, certain cultures would crush certain insects and apply their liquified parts to their skin as a form of make-up.
2006-06-08 18:18:27 · answer #2 · answered by Veritatum17 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
probably lady bugs more so than cockroaches.
2006-06-08 18:18:50 · answer #3 · answered by mardelgarfer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't know but mascara comes from bat crap
2006-06-08 18:18:23 · answer #4 · answered by babykate 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not from roaches thats for sure.
2006-06-08 18:20:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think so.
2006-06-08 23:26:21 · answer #6 · answered by su 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO!
2006-06-08 19:50:19 · answer #7 · answered by Britt55 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ew,ew,ew,ew,ew,ew i hope not!!!!!!
2006-06-08 18:50:07 · answer #8 · answered by Jessica B. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no no no...
2006-06-08 18:21:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋