Comparing E120 - Cochineal vs E129 - Allura red
Overview
Synonyms
Products
Found in 456 products
Found in 26,926 products
Search rank & volume
Awareness score
Search volume over time
Interest over time for 6 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.
Interest over time for 12 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.
Popular questions
What foods contain cochineal?
It’s used to color red/pink foods such as strawberry yogurts and dairy drinks, ice creams, candies and confections, jams and glazes, bakery icings, soft drinks/liqueurs, and sometimes processed meats or seafoods. On labels it may appear as “carmine,” “cochineal extract,” or E120.
Is cochineal extract bad for you?
No—major regulators permit it and consider it safe at typical food-use levels, though a small number of people can have allergic reactions (occasionally severe).
What is cochineal extract?
A natural red colorant obtained from dried cochineal insects; its main coloring compound is carminic acid. It may be converted to the aluminum lake form (carmine) for greater stability.
Is cochineal safe to eat?
Yes—within permitted levels it’s considered safe; the acceptable daily intake is 0–5 mg/kg body weight per day (as carminic acid). Rare allergies can occur, and it’s animal‑derived so not suitable for vegetarians/vegans.
What is cochineal used for?
To provide red to pink shades in foods and drinks (e.g., confectionery, beverages, dairy products, desserts) as a stable natural colorant.
Why is red 40 bad?
Concerns focus on it being a synthetic azo dye and on studies suggesting small effects on attention and activity in some children (the EU requires a behavior warning label for E129). It may also trigger rare hypersensitivity reactions, though regulators (FDA, EFSA, JECFA) consider it safe at approved levels.
Why is red 40 banned?
It isn’t broadly banned—FD&C Red No. 40 is allowed in the U.S. and EU (with an EU warning about possible effects on children’s behavior). Some jurisdictions, schools, or brands choose to avoid it, but that’s a policy choice rather than a general prohibition.
What is red 40 made of?
Allura Red AC is a synthetic azo dye produced from petroleum‑derived aromatic compounds, typically used as its water‑soluble sodium salt (also available as calcium/potassium salts or aluminum lakes).
What does red 40 do to your body?
Most ingested Red 40 is not absorbed and is excreted; some is broken down by gut bacteria to aromatic amines. In sensitive individuals it can cause intolerance-like reactions, and some children may experience small, reversible changes in activity/attention; within the ADI (~7 mg/kg body weight/day) it’s considered safe by major regulators.
What is red dye 40 made of?
It’s a synthetic azo dye made from petroleum‑derived aromatic compounds, usually supplied as the water‑soluble sodium salt (and sometimes as calcium/potassium salts or aluminum lakes).