If the idea of eating insects seems disgusting to you, the bad news is that, probably, you have already eaten them (without realizing it) thousands of times.
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This is because one of the dyes most used in the food industry is the carmine, and, as you are imagining, this dye is made with crushed insects.
The insect used to make this dye - which gives food a reddish hue - is called a cochineal.
He is originally from Latin America and lives in the cactus.
Currently they are raised mainly in Peru, where millions of woodlice are harvested to produce carmine.
This is a basic ingredient in the food industry. It is added to almost everything: from yogurt to ice cream, to fruit cakes, soft drinks, muffins and donuts.
It is also widely used in the cosmetics industry, as, for example, in many lipsticks.
"Four natural reds"
Carmine is used because it is a stable, long-lasting additive whose color is not affected by heat or light.
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Those who choose carmine as an additive for their products point out that it is a natural product discovered and used by the Mayan and Aztec cultures, more than 500 years ago.
They say it is much healthier than artificial alternatives such as food coloring made from coal or petroleum products.
But even the defenders of carmine believe that its use should be clearly indicated on the label of the products that contain it, since in many cases this is not the case.
If you are looking for the word carmine in a product that has this additive, chances are you do not see it in the list of ingredients.
Carmine is incredibly stable and a reliable natural dye for food that can be used to create a wide variety of colors
Amy Butler Greenfield, author of "A perfect red"
Instead, you'll find the phrase "four natural reds" or E120 (at least in European products).
Amy Butler Greenfield, author of "A Perfect Red," a book about carmine and its history, says that while it is in favor of being named in its correct form on labels, it is a natural product that has passed the test of time.
"Carmine is incredibly stable and a reliable natural dye for food that can be used to create a wide variety of colors - rosé, oranges, purples as well as reds."
"Very few people have serious allergic reactions to carmine," he says. It is a very safe product, he adds.
Peru at the top
Peru leads the production of carmine and, according to the Peruvian embassy in the United Kingdom, the country controls 95% of the international market.
This generates work for at least 32,600 farmers, says the embassy.
The insects, which measure about 5 millimeters, are collected from the leaves of the nopales.
They join the females (who do not have wings) more than the males.
The red color comes from carminic acid, which is about a quarter of the weight of the insect, and which allows it to scare off its predators.
Usually insects are allowed to dry first and then all parts are removed, explains Butler Greenfield.
Last year, Peru exported 647 tons of carmine for about US $ 46.4 million.
