Carminic acid, Carmine (E120)
- Food Caution
What is Carminic acid, Carmine (E120)?
Carmine (E120) is a red colour made from crushed cochineal insects, used in sweets, yoghurts and drinks. For most people normal amounts are not a health concern. Rarely, leftover insect proteins cause an allergic reaction — hives, swelling, wheezing or, very rarely, severe allergic shock.
Allergen alert. Carmine (cochineal extract, E120) is not on the EU’s mandatory 14-allergen declaration list (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 Annex II), but residual insect-derived proteins in carmine preparations are a well-documented cause of IgE-mediated allergic reactions in sensitized individuals, including rare but confirmed anaphylaxis in the allergy literature. Yasno shows an allergen alert when this ingredient appears on a label you scan. It can only point out allergens it finds. It never says a product is free of one.
What is Yasno’s verdict on Carminic acid, Carmine?
Yasno’s verdict on Carminic acid, Carmine: Caution. Some evidence of a concern, it depends on the amount, or it is genuinely worth knowing. A Caution always has a specific, sourced reason.
Is Carminic acid, Carmine allowed in the EU?
EU status of Carminic acid, Carmine: Permitted as a food additive. Conditions and limits come from the regulation cited below. Yasno summarises them and does not replace the legal text.
| Where | EU | US |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Permitted as a food additive | Not recorded |
What else is it called?
- Cochineal
- Cochineal extract
- Carmine
Sources
- EU Food Additives Register — POL-FAD-IMPORT-2990, European Commission (DG SANTE), 2013
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of carminic acid, carmine (E 120) as a food additive, European Food Safety Authority, 2015
Always check the physical label. Yasno describes evidence and regulatory status. It never says a product is free of an allergen or safe for you, and it is not medical advice.
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