red #40

[counterGOPI]

ok so this is one of those ingredients we have been avoiding in our diet but i never really knew why, just heard it wasn't vegan... i head something about it being ground up beetles.well I've been researching it online to know exactly why we don't intake this ingredient and i came across this website that says:

"Another red dye used in foods, FD&C Red Dye ..40 (alternatively known as Red ..40), is often mistakenly assumed to be a euphemism for cochineal or carmine. It's not — it's bug-free and is actually derived from coal. "

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/bugjuice.htm
does anyone have any info on this? or any website i can research it on? we left our animal ingredients a-z back in the states so thats why we have to research online. thanks in advance!!
nicole

i just found this too....

"What is FD & C Red ..40 and is it vegan?

FD & C Red ..40 is 99% coal tar derivatives. We don't know of any animal products in it. For years a rumor has claimed that it is made of cochineal or carmine, but that is not true. "

from:
http://www.vegetarianvitamin.com/html/veggie.html....red

so its looking like red 40 is vegan afterall!!
i don't know that i want to eat it still seing as how its probaby not the most healthy thing,ha,ha, but its vegan.

[Christa]

I know that Erin has an animal ingredients list on vegfamily: http://www.vegfamily.com/lists/animal-ingredients.htm#r

I didn't see red dye #40 on it, but I may have missed something. I, actually, had never heard that it was made from bugs, but I am not always the best source for things like that. We, too, try to avoid artificial colors for other reasons (as much as we can).

[counterGOPI]

Originally posted by Christa
I know that Erin has an animal ingredients list on vegfamily: http://www.vegfamily.com/lists/animal-ingredients.htm#r

I didn't see red dye #40 on it, but I may have missed something. I, actually, had never heard that it was made from bugs, but I am not always the best source for things like that. We, too, try to avoid artificial colors for other reasons (as much as we can).

wow thanks , i never noticed that list. :) maybe the red 40 thing is an older wives tale.ha,ha.i guess i need to question things im not sure about more often,huh?! ;)

[alexis]

Just the fact that its made from coal tar is enough to make me want to avoid it. :p I have a strange aversion to food that originate from anywhere weird. But I've always heard the red food dye is made from bugs. Bugs, coal tar, same difference, just gross. Think the safety rule would be 'guilty until proven innocent'. :)