cochineal vs. artificial red dye -- what are your thoughts?

Today I noticed my Sobe yumberry pomegranate Lifewater has cochineal extract in it...which if you don't already know (I found this out in this forum, actually) is made from the cochineal beetle. Besides not being a vegetarian food, I found this pretty icky. But I'm noticing a lot of things have it now because it's natural, so supposedly isn't as bad for you as artificial dyes. This is a huge bummer to me since most of the things that are "red" are my favorite flavor. I don't see why Lifewater has to be bright red anyway. What are your thoughts on cochineal? Gross, not gross? Better than red dye? Somewhat acceptable for vegetarians since its just bugs?

i saw a story about this just yesterday or the day before.  i don't know about the vegetarian/vegan implications, but apparently it's quite a potent allergen.  kids, especially, can become hypersensitive to it.  it's especially problematic, because it can be listed as a "natural colour" in ingredients lists (at least in canada).

I think you'll be fine~afterall, most herbivores sometimes ingest bugs without even knowing! 

(PS: Did you know you eat 8 spiders in a lifetime while your sleeping?  "Real Fact" from Snapple <3)

Its def. gross~but then, I've tried all the Sobe Lifewaters.  They're simply the definition of gross.  I personally don't find drinking them worth it after reading the nutritional value on the back and realizing all they really offer is Vitamin C.  I say stick with orange juice.

From what I've heard it's been used as a dye for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.  It can be an allergen for some, but I think for most people it's fine.  There is a certain gross factor to it though.

I also don't understand why foods need to be bright red (outside of the naturally occurring ones of course), and avoid artificially colored foods whenever possible. If I absolutely had to choose between Red 40 and cochineal extract though, I'd go with the bugs. Like many people, I have a sensitivity to Red 40 and it makes me feel unwell.

As to the cochineal extract, even when I was a strict vegetarian killing a couple bugs never really bothered me. It's not like I was pulling the wings off butterflies or stomping on spiders for fun, but when fruit flies invaded my kitchen you better believe I set traps for them. Also, most conventionally grown produce is sprayed with insecticide, so even if you're not eating the bugs you're still killing them.

Fun fact: according to the BBC, the average person inadvertently eats about a kilo of bugs per year.

Original Post by skinnyfox:

I think you'll be fine~afterall, most herbivores sometimes ingest bugs without even knowing! 

(PS: Did you know you eat 8 spiders in a lifetime while your sleeping?  "Real Fact" from Snapple <3)

Its def. gross~but then, I've tried all the Sobe Lifewaters.  They're simply the definition of gross.  I personally don't find drinking them worth it after reading the nutritional value on the back and realizing all they really offer is Vitamin C.  I say stick with orange juice.

 Lol I thought it was tasty. I only got it for the 0 cals because I'm bored with diet soda/unsweetened tea.

Regarding all the bugs and spiders I eat each year: GROSS! lol

I think I'm gonna keep drinking the lifewater. Maybe not that flavor though.

Maybe I should just invent my own lifewater-esque drink, only without the colorful dyes. I'll call it "NO BUGS" and I'll make millions.

Religious practitioners of Jainism sweep the ground in front of them with a broom to avoid stepping on insects/critters. They also wear masks over their nose and mouth to keep from breathing in a bug or swallowing one accidentally. I won't go that far, but I don't want to knowingly consume beetle residue if I can avoid it.

Original Post by ostaraspring:

Religious practitioners of Jainism sweep the ground in front of them with a broom to avoid stepping on insects/critters. They also wear masks over their nose and mouth to keep from breathing in a bug or swallowing one accidentally. I won't go that far, but I don't want to knowingly consume beetle residue if I can avoid it.

 I've heard of that. I found it sort of admirable, to be that at peace with every living creature.

Could you tell me cochineal is natural color or artificial. It's a difficult problem for me.

Original Post by 77268599:

Could you tell me cochineal is natural color or artificial. It's a difficult problem for me.

 cochineal is natural color. Its made from the cochineal beetle.