| Color |
Magenta - pink -red |
| Source |
Dried Female Cochineal Insect |
| Solubility |
Water, Mineral Acids, ether, alkali,
|
| Insoluble in |
Oils and Fats, alcohol, organic
Solvents. |
| Type |
Lake pigment |
| Stability |
Stable in Heat and Light |
| Storage |
Cool Dark Place |
| Applications |
Fruits, yogurts, processed food,
cosmetics. |
Carmine has been used as a colorant even in the ancient civilizations be it
Egyptian or the Maya or the Inca. At one point the worth of this color was
more than that of real gold. It is used as a food colorant, a dye and body
colorant. Canary Islands and Peru are the major centers for the cultivation
of the cochineal insects known as the best source of carmine.
Dried cochineal contains 17-24% carminic acid. It is subject to cautious
extraction process in acidic, aqueous, alcoholic solution. It is then
precipitated as carmine.
