Long before lab-made colors, cactus bugs put the red in ‘redcoats’
“It takes more than 30,000 insects to make one pound of this pigment powder.” — Jon Zawislak
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Feb, 3, 2025
Fast facts:
- Cactus parasite was used to make carmine
- Carmine put the red in British Redcoats
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(Newsrooms: with image of Zawislak; art of toy redcoat soliders Pronounced zuh-VISH'-lock)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Centuries before the now-banned red dye No. 3 was synthesized in a lab, humans turned to insects to bring a little scarlet, vermillion or burgundy into their foods, fabrics and artwork.
On Jan. 15, the federal Food and Drug Administration banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 for use in food, decades after banning it in cosmetics. A generation earlier, Red No. 2 was banned as a potential carcinogen.
“Crimson lake, also called carmine lake, is a red pigment derived from carminic acid, which is produced from the cochineal bug, Dactylopius coccus,” said Jon Zawislak, assistant professor of apiculture and urban entomology for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
These are scale insects in the order Hemiptera — the "true bugs," not beetles — that feed primarily on many species of Opuntia cacti, or prickly pears.
“It was traditionally produced by the pre-Columbian natives of Mexico,” Zawislak said. “After the Spanish conquest, it became an important export commodity from the New World to Europe, especially as a textile dye.”
Prickly pear cacti are breeding grounds for cochineal bugs. Adult female and immature cochineal bugs are flightless. But adult males have wings and can fly. After mating on the cactus, the females lay eggs and the nymphs remain on the plant to feed on its juices.
“They produce red carminic acid as a defense against predators,” Zawislak said.
“Once mature, the insects were laboriously collected by hand picking or brushing off the cactus pads, killed by boiling in water, sun-dried and ground into a fine powder,” he said. “It takes more than 30,000 insects to make one pound of this pigment powder.”
Carmine, the primary ingredient in the red dye, is extracted by boiling the powder.
The color could be altered by adding other chemicals.
“The brilliant pigment was used to dye the robes of Catholic Cardinals and the British Redcoats,” Zawislak said. “It's also been used as a natural colorant in many foods and cosmetics, sometimes listed on package ingredients as ‘carmine,’ ‘E120,’ ‘cochineal extract’ or ‘Natural Red 4’ — making whatever it’s in non-vegetarian or vegan, and as a protein it could potentially cause allergic reactions in some people.”
In 2012, Starbucks announced it was phasing out insect-based color from its food, instead using a tomato-based color.
Cochineals are still farmed in parts of Mexico, but the practice is on the decline.
Not the only bugs
However, cochineals are not the only insect in the dye business.
“There are a few species that produce similar products, and at least one more is commercially grown — Kerria lacca — from which ‘lac’ dye and shellac, a natural resin, originate,” said Austin Jones, extension instructor and director of undergraduate education and outreach coordinator, with the Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. “India seems to be the main area of production, but other countries on the Asian continent dabble as well.”
Use of dyes in food
“Food dyes are used to add or correct the color or shade of a product, often to increase the product's appeal to consumers,” said Sun Ferreira, assistant professor-food process engineering for the Division of Agriculture and Bumpers College.
“In the case of jams using berries, a processor may not need to add dyes since the fruits will provide enough color,” he said. “However, in products such as breakfast cereals, beverages, syrups, and baked goods, the color provided by the fruits may not be bright or intense enough, and processors may choose to use food colorants.
“This happens because the natural red color may fade during cooking/baking and storage. Additionally, the use of colorants or dyes ensures product consistency in appearance, as horticultural products may vary over seasons or varieties,” Ferreira said.
Ferreira noted that food producers have several natural dye options:
- Beet juice for deep reds and is used in beverages, plant-based meat analogs and baked goods
- Paprika, turmeric and annatto, when mixed can produce red hues.
- Raspberries and strawberries can be used to create pinks and reds
- Red cabbage, which can achieve shades of red to blue depending on the product acidity.
“The issue with some of these natural alternatives is their stability to light, heat, and oxygen, which may alter their color,” he said. “To overcome this, techniques such as microencapsulation can be used to extend and facilitate their application, although this may increase their cost.”
“One of the main and greatly used ‘natural’ alternatives is the use of lycopene extracted from tomatoes,” Ferreira said. “Lycopene-based food colorants are heat, light, and pH stable, which greatly facilitates their usage.”
Ferreira said that are still some synthetic dyes that are FDA approved and widely used, but “also have data showing potential associations with behavioral issues. The FDA and European Union may require label claims for these dyes.”
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu