The agency informs that appetizers based on potatoes, cereals, flour or starch use the tincture. As well as some types of candies, such as gum and gelatin, as well as drinks with an alcohol content of up to 15%, breakfast cereals, beers, short-lived fresh pasta, among others.
Sauces, mustards, some cheeses, such as processed and pasteurized cheese, cream cheese, soups, broths, juices, coconut water, food supplements and some desserts are also on the list — see the complete list, sent by Anvisa, at the end of the article.
How the dye is produced and health risks
Lucas Jaques de Oliveirabiologist, specialist in natural sciences and professor, explains the process of how the dye is produced: the insect cochineal (Dactylopius cuckoo) is crushed and then ammonia is used to extract the color and produce the dye, called cochineal carmine.
The expert claims that this procedure causes controversy, due to the fact that an animal is used, and cites approximate numbers. “To make 1 kg of this dye, producers crush an average of 150,000 insects”, he details.
According to Anvisa, this food coloring was evaluated by the Joint Committee of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and WHO (World Health Organization) of Experts in Food Additives (JEFCA) and is considered safe for consumption. , but with an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of up to 5 mg per kilogram of body weight.
List of foods that have dye in their composition
The dye is authorized for use in Brazil and Mercosur, subject to the expected conditions of use, in accordance with Anvisa regulations. The food categories that have cochineal carmine in their composition listed by the agencies are:
– Snacks based on potatoes, cereals, flour or starch (derived from roots and tubers, vegetables and legumes);
– Rubber balls and gelatin balls;
– Candies and caramels;
– Mixed alcoholic drinks (except mixed alcoholic drinks, mistela, mixed mix, sangria and cooler with wine) with an alcoholic strength of up to 15% v/v
– Dairy drinks with additions; or with fermented milk; or fermented with addition; or fermented with fermented milk(s); or heat-treated after fermentation;
– Non-alcoholic soy-based or carbonated and non-carbonated beverages;
– Morning cereals, for snacks or others, cereal-based foods, cold or hot;
– Beers;
– Breading coverage for fish and fish products;
– Toppings and syrups for bakery products and biscuits, for confectionery products, for desserts, for edible ices, for candies, for confectionery, for bonbons, for chocolates and the like and for confectionery dips;
– Dairy compound with addition;
– Prepared seasonings;
– Confectionery;
– Meat and mixed preserves; or fish, including molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, amphibians and reptiles;
– Cooler;
– Vegetable creams and margarines;
– Formulas for enteral nutrition, dietary formulas for inborn errors of metabolism and other similar products, intended for individuals over 3 years of age;
– Edible ice cream;
– Fruit jelly and mocotó jelly;
– Chewing gum or chicle;
– Fermented milk with addition;
– Butter;
– Fresh short-lived pasta (up to 48 hours), without eggs, with or without vegetables, stuffed or not; or long-lasting (more than 48 hours), without eggs, with or without vegetables, stuffed or not; or instant dried without eggs, with or without green vegetables, tomatoes, peppers or others; or dried without eggs, with or without vegetables, tomatoes, peppers or others; or
dried without eggs, with filling;
– Mistela compound;
– Dehydrated sauces; or emulsified (including mayonnaise-based sauces); or not emulsified;
– Molluscs, crustaceans and cooked echinoderms;
– table mustard;
– Other desserts (with or without gelatine, with or without starches, with or without gelling agents)
– Other bonbons without chocolate;
– Roe and other roe-based products;
– Pills;
– Fish and cooked fish products, except molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms; or
smoked, dried or dried and/or salted; or fried fish, including molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, amphibians and reptiles; or industrialized fish not subjected to heat treatment or using partial heat; or marinated and pickled fish, including molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms;
– Industrial culinary preparations (frozen or not); or fruit and/or seeds (including coatings and fillings) for use in other food products (except fruit pulp);
– Cooked industrialized processed meat products; or fresh industrialized processed; or processed dry industrialized; or dehydrated; or processed boiled salted;
– Very high moisture cheese; or processed or melted, processed, pasteurized and processed or melted UHT
– Fillings for bakery products and biscuits, for confectionery products, for desserts, for edible ices, for candies, for confectionery, for bonbons, for chocolates and the like and for confectionery dips;
– Cream cheese;
– Oilseeds and processed nuts, coated or not;
– Meat and mixed semi-preserved foods;
– Gelatin desserts;
– Soups and broths;
– Juice, nectar, fruit pulp, tropical juice and coconut water;
– Liquid food supplements (including suspensions, solutions, syrups, emulsions and liquid content of gelatin capsules;
– Solid and semi-solid food supplements (including pills, gums, dragees, tablets, capsules, gelatin capsules, gels, creams, powders, granules, lozenges and chewable forms);
– Nougats, marzipans, edible seed paste.
