It's an insect that is ground up and put into food for the coloring.
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Are insects used to make food coloring? - The Boston Globe
Mar 6, 2006 ... Q: A few weeks ago at a party the subject came up about food coloring. I told the guests about the red bugs that are raised to make #40 red.
www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2006/03/... - Similar
snopes.com: Food Color Made From Bugs
Feb 20, 2007 ... Food colorant made of ground bugs? ... The desiccated insects would then be ground to a fine ... Color Additives and Cosmetics ...
www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/bugjuice.asp - Similar
Answers.com - Was red food coloring made from beetles' wings
Was red food colori ng made from beetles' wings? What is red artificial food coloring made of? Is red food color made from insect wings? ...
wiki.answers.com/Q/Was_red_food_coloring_made_from_be... - Similar
Cochineal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The insect produces carminic acid that deters predation by other insects. ... Carmine is today primarily used as a food colouring and for cosmetics. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal - Similar
Carmine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Food industries were aggressively opposed to the idea of writing "insect ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmine - 11 hours ago - Similar
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