Carmine comes from the Cochineal, a parasitic plant insect that grows on the pads of cactus fruit. This is used for the extraction of the dye that is made of two substances known as carmine and carminic acid.
Carmine is one of the oldest natural dyes and is used in different industries as a pigment or as a dye. When used as dye (solid), its dyeing method is by dispersion (distribution of the color throughout the chosen material) and its dyeing strength is not proportional to its purity. On the other hand, when used as pigment (liquid), its dyeing method is by dissolution and its dyeing strength is directly proportional to its purity.
This is probably the dye having the best technological characteristics among the natural ones. It gives food a nice red color; however, it is not only used for the food industry, but also in other industries such as the Cosmetic industry, being used in eye care products, facial powder, eyeliner and lipliner, eye shadows, etc. In quality terms, the cosmetic industry is the most demanding, as it only accepts the purest carmine that matches the desired shade according to its quality parameters and color.
It is also used in the Pharmaceutical industry. Powdered Carmine is used in the preparation of pills and tablets. As an alkaline solution, it is used in toothpastes, mouth rinses, etc.
And, as we already know and have already discussed before, it is widely used in the Food Industry. It is virtually used in any product needing a shade of strawberry red like hamburgers, sausages (chorizos), crab sticks, derivatives of fish and shellfish. Carmine is also used to give color to alcoholic beverages (Campari type), non-alcoholic beverages such as fruit juices, powdered soft drinks and energizers. Besides, it can be found in jelly, marmalade, cherries, dry soup mixes, etc.
It can be used in dairy products as well, such as strawberry-flavored yogurt and shakes. It can also be found in candies, syrups, desserts and chewing gum. Contact our sales force here.
