Bugs in Your Food (BeetleJuice Ice Cream)

Bugs in Your Food (BeetleJuice Ice Cream)

well.blogs.nytimes.com

As it turns out, there really may be a bug in your soup.

The Food and Drug Administration has finalized a rule that will require food companies to list cochineal extract and carmine on the label when they are used in food and cosmetics. But the new rule contains one glaring omission. It doesn’t require companies to tell you that the ingredients come from a bug.

Cochineal extract and carmine, used to dye food, drinks and cosmetics various shades of red, orange, pink and purple, are extracted from the dried bodies of the female cochineal bug.

The F.D.A. typically doesn’t require color additives to be named on food labels. For years, the bug extracts “have been hidden under the terms ‘artificial colors’ or ‘color added,’ ” according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group says the extracts are commonly used in reddish-colored foods and beverages, including fruit drinks, ice creams, yogurts and candies.

However, the F.D.A. required the ingredients be listed after University of Michigan allergist Dr. James L. Baldwin reported that some of his patients suffered severe allergic reactions to the bug extracts. After C.S.P.I. petitioned the F.D.A. in 1998, the group also received several dozen adverse-reaction reports from consumers.

In a statement, the group criticized the ruling, noting that labels should make it clear that the extracts come from bugs. They argue that people with allergies who want to avoid the foods for health reasons are well aware of what the ingredients are made from. But vegetarians and people of certain religious faiths who would typically avoid a bug-based product may not be aware of the origins of the extracts without more disclosure on the food label.

(visit the link for the full news article)

ATS food additive discussion here

[edit on 1/5/2009 by clay2 baraka]

I think that there are many who would be surprised that the bright, candy-like colors in their bowl of ice cream are derived from the dried remains of a beetle. It is good that the US FDA is differentiating between carmine coloring and the generic label "artificial coloring."

What happened to using beets, (not beetles) as a source of coloring?

I wonder how many vegetarians are aware of this and how many people have had allergic reactions to the beetle juice?

well.blogs.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 1/5/2009 by clay2 baraka]

Seems like i learn something new on this site everyday.

Hope PETA doesn't read this article.

Good find

I don't see the problem. From what I know certain insects are good for you. Lots of nutritional value. I don't know about these bugs but it doesn't seem that people are dropping dead because of it.

reply to post by clay2 baraka


Can you give some example products? I wonder how many of those products have Kosher certification.

It's all good - well apart from people with medical conditions, and they will probably get to know what to look out for in the ingredients, the rest of us don't really need to know per say, and really is it gonna stop you eating all the teeth rotting brightly coloured sweets?

I'm slightly more concerned by this... (slightly, but not overly concerned)

CHOCOLATE AND CHOCOLATE LIQUOR
Insect filth: Average is 60 or more insect fragments per 100 grams when 6 100-gram subsamples are examined OR any 1 subsample contains 90 or more insect fragments

Rodent filth: Average is 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams in 6 100-gram subsamples examined OR any 1 subsample contains 3 or more rodent hairs

When I was a little kid I was subjected to some very cruel suggestions about what was in my food by my older cousins, they would say things like there were fingers and rats tails in the gravy, stuff like that (I was like 5 or something) and for years afterwards every once in a while one of those images would pop in my head and I couldn't eat - a minor problem for me, but for some kids getting them to eat is a nightmare...

Now imagine what it would be like if the parents were throwing them selves in front of of every bit of food screaming 'Thats got spiders in it!!'

edit link for the quote

[edit on 5/1/2009 by Now_Then]

Originally posted by MikeboydUS
reply to post by clay2 baraka

 

Can you give some example products? I wonder how many of those products have Kosher certification.

Because carmine comes from insects, some other color must be used if a product is to be labeled kosher.

It takes over a million of the insects to make a pound of dye. The insects are harvested when the females are about to lay eggs, at which time they turn a bright red color. The shells of the female insects are dried, then the color is dissolved in a solvent, and all of the insect parts are filtered out.

Because of all of this labor intensive processing, carmine is more expensive than FD&C Red #40, but it has a deep magenta-red color, and red 40 is more orange-red.

Drinks with FD&C 40 (aka. BeetleJuice):

Abbott Labs:

Ensure Plus;
Strawberry


Campbell Soup Co.:

V8 Splash;
Strawberry Kiwi


Coca-Cola:

Baacardi Mixers;
Strawberry Daiquiri
Hi-C;
Boppin Berry
Fruit Punch
Minute Maid;
Orange Soda


Dr. Pepper / Seven Up:

Schweppes;
Grape Diet Ginger Ale
Grape Ginger Ale
Raspberry Diet Ginger Ale
Raspberry Ginger Ale
Sunkist;
Orange Soda


Gatorade:

Gatorade;
Fierce Grape
Fierce Berry
Frost Riptide Rush
Fruit Punch
Passion Fruit
The Edge Fruit Punch


Hawaiian Punch:

Hawaiian Punch;
Fruit Punch


Kraft Foods:

Country Time;
Pink Lemonade mix
Crystal Light;
Raspberry Ice drink
Ice Tea mix
Pink Lemonade mix
Rasberry Ice mix
Kool-Aid mix;
Mega Moutain Cherry Berry
Sugar Sweet Grape
Sugar Sweet Slammin Strawberry Kiwi
Sugar Sweet Tropical Punch
Tang;
Berry Panic
Fruit Frenzy


Lipton:

Lipton;
Brisk Iced Tea


Nestle:

Nestle Quick;
Strawberry


Ocean Spray:

Ruby Red;
Grapefruit Juice
Grapefruit & Tangerine Juice


Pepsi:

FruitWorks;
Apple Raspberry
Peach Papaya
Pink Lemonade
Strawberry Melon
Tangerine Citrus
Mountain Dew;
Code Red
Diet Code Red
Pepsi;
Pepsi Blue
Tropicana Twister;
Orange/Cranberry

Originally posted by clay2 baraka
Country Time; Pink Lemonade mix
Lipton; Brisk Iced Tea

Awwwwwww crap! We drink this stuff. Or should I say - we DRANK this stuff. I had no idea it was bug juice. thanks for the thread.

Snacks that contain beetles:

Archway:

Archway Cookies;
Raspberry filled

Breyers:

Popsicle brand;
Firecracker pops
Orange, Grape Cherry bars
Scribblers
Sugar Free pops

Eskimo Pie:

Welch's Frozen Fruit Juice bars;
assorted flavors

Frito-Lay:

Doritos;
Nacho Cheese
Cooler Ranch
Doritos 3-D;
Nacho Cheese
Fritos Go Snacks;
Fritos Hoops

General Mills:

Betty Crocker Disney Princess
Fruit Snacks
Betty Crocker Fruit Gushers;
Fruitomic Punch
Hawaiian Punch
Lemonade
Strawberry Splash
Tropical
Watermelon
Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes;
Buzz Lightyear
Scooby-Doo!
Betty Crocker Pokemon Rolls;
Fruit Snacks
Betty Crocker Shark Bites;
Fruit Snacks

Betty Crocker Winnie the Pooh;
Fruit Snacks
Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot;
Berry
Rainbow Punch
Strawberry
Watermelon
Pillsbury Toaster Strudel;
Raspberry
Strawberry

Gray & Company:

Cherryman;
Maraschino cherries
Queen Anne;
Chocolate covered cherries

Hershey:

Hershey's Syrup;
Strawberry
Hershey's Lite Syrup;
Chocolate

Interstate Brands:

Hostess Twinkies;
snack cakes

Jel Sert:

Otter Pops;
snack bars
Fla Vor Ice Freeze;
fruit bars

Kelloggs:

Nutri-Grain cereal bar;
mixed berry
raspberry
strawberry
Nutri-Grain Minis cereal bar;
strawberry
Nutri-Grain Twists cereal bar;
strawberry cheesecake

Nutri-Grain yogurt bars;
strawberry
Pop-Tarts;
chocolate chip
frosted blueberry
frosted smores
frosted strawberry
smores
strawberry

Kraft Foods:
Jello Snack Cups;
Strawberry Orange
Raspberry Orange Sugar Free

Strawberry Sugar Free:
Strawberry Kiwi Sugar Free
Jello Gelatin mix;
Black Cherry
Cherry
Cranberry
Cranberry-Raspberry
Grape
Mango

Mixed Fruit
Orange
Peach
Raspberry
Sparkling Mandarin Orange
Strawberry
Strawberry Banana
Strawberry Kiwi
Watermelon
Wild Strawberry
Jello Sugar Free Gelatin mix;
Cherry
Cranberry
Mixed Fruit
Orange
Raspberry

Sparkling Mandarin Orange;
Sparkling Wild Berry
Strawberry
Strawberry Banana
Strawberry Kiwi
Jello Instant Pudding;
Chocolate

Jello Sugar Free Fat Free Instant Pudding;
Chocolate
Chocolate Fudge
Jello Sugar Free Fat Free Pudding;
Chocolate
Jello X-treme Gel sticks;
Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry
Kool-Aid Kool Pops;
Freezer bars
Philly Snack Bars;
Strawberry Cheescake

Nabisco:
Comet (ice cream cones);
rainbow cups
Fruit Snacks;
Blues Clues
Rugrats Double Berry
Newtons fat free cookies;
Raspberry
Strawberry
Planters;
Cheez Balls

M&M Mars:
Combos Cracker Snacks;
Pepperoni Pizza
Combos Pretzel Snacks;
Pizzeria Pretzel
M&M's;
Ice Cream Cones

McKee Foods:
Little Debbie;
Fudge Brownies
Swiss Cake Rolls

Mott's:
Motts Frutsation Applesauce;
Strawberry

Quaker:
Frosted Fruit Oatmeal Bar;
raspberry
Fruit & Oatmeal Bars;
strawberry
strawberry cheesecake

Fruit & Oatmeal Bites;
strawberry
very berry
Chewy Granola Bars;
flavor variety pack

Smuckers:
Fat Free Topping;
caramel

Big deal. I'm sure that at one point along my genetic line, some ancient cave man ancestor probably thought a nice, juicy bug was a real treat, and it kept him or her from starving to death. And here I am today.

And if that Andrew Zimmern can eat it, so can I.

Great Find!!

I actuallly used this topic for a speech class a few years back. Surprisingly, there were only a few good images availbale online.....anyways, if memory serves, by using the beetle juice, amanufacturer can label their product as containing natural ingredients as opposed to artificial color, etc. I'm not sure how far they can go with it, advertising wise, but thats why they'll pay more for it when a cheaper chemical alternative exists

It may come as a supprise to you but the FDA has allowed bugs in food for over 50 years.

In processed grains it is called protein content.
most comes from weevils and other bugs in grain that is then made into flour
This is what is called enriched flour

Bugs are also allowed in soy, corn, and all other grains
www.bioone.org...(2005)098[2282%3AIFIFRT]2.0.CO%3B2&ct=1
www.ars.usda.gov...

"Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110.110 allows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish maximum levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods for human use that present no health hazard. These "Food Defect Action Levels" listed in this booklet are set on this premise--that they pose no inherent hazard to health."
www.cfsan.fda.gov...


Defect Action Levels:
WHEAT FLOUR - Average of 75 or more insect fragments per 50 grams. Average of 1 or more rodent hairs per 50 grams
CORNMEAL - Average of 1 or more whole insects (or equivalent) per 50 grams. Average of 25 or more insect fragments per 25 grams.

Have a good meal tonight.

[edit on 5-1-2009 by ANNED]

Heck we eat cows, chickens, pigs, including their "juices", etc. why not a little bug juice? People wince at the sight of roadkill, but we're basically eating the same thing (flesh) you see on the road just sliced up neatly and wrapped in plastic.

Okay well at least with the animals we know what we're eating, for the most part, usually.

Actually, I'm going to be looking into my own grinder for grains, and will no longer buy anything that has even the chance of being "enriched". As to deliberately added: I think I'm going to be asking for my money back!!!