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Seeing Red

I just read a story that made me think I was reading one of those urban legend e-mails. You know, the ones that urge people to "send this to everyone you know" because the world must be aware that deodorant causes breast cancer or some prince in Nigeria needs a contribution to his bank account. The headline read, "FDA: You're eating crushed bug juice."

I'm what?

Definitely an attention grabber. So I continued. The story went on to explain that the Food and Drug Administration has proposed requiring food and cosmetic labels to list cochineal extract or carmine if a product's ingredients include either of the two red colorings...

Not any big deal, you think? Then read on..."that have been extracted from the ground bodies of an insect known since the time of the Aztecs."

Think you're safe? Go get your favorite lipstick. Or your quart of strawberry milk. Fake crab and lobster. Ice cream. Port wine cheese. Fruit cocktail cherries (great, I just fed my sweet toddler bugs). Lipstick, makeup base, eyeshadow, eyeliners, nail polishes, and (*gasp*...not again...) various baby products.

According to the story, the inclusion of these colorings "hasn't exactly been well-disclosed." No kidding. Go check the labels. See "color added" or "E120"? Apparently those are the code words for: GUSHY INSECT GUTS!

The story went on to say that vegetarians and Jewish people were upset by this knowledge. I'm neither of these groups of people. And I'm still not jazzed knowing that during my lifetime, I've smeared squashed bugs on my face, swallowed it and included it in my child's daily regimen.

That's bad enough. I don't want to know more. But I found out anyway. The Food and Drug Administration sets what it calls "food defect action levels," which are the maximum levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods -- like how many insects, rat hairs and animal excrement are permissible.

Yumyum. And don't we all look pretty.

Comments

Brianne said…
Well like they say, ignorance is bliss. Just don't ask Brett to go into what chicken nuggets are made out of. [fyi: puss] Oh and did you know that a ton of food has insect legs in it?? I was shocked at this and when I told Brett about it he just kinda shrugged and said, "Yeah... you really think that when they ship some of the products or ingredients or produce in that bugs don't get in them somehow?"
1:05 PM
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