Dannon criticized for using insect-based dye in yogurt products | Fox News

Worldwide yogurt manufacturer Dannon has lately belong to fire for together with a not-so-enjoyable component in the yogurt items: bugs.

Based on the Center for Science within the Public Interest (CSPI) – a nonprofit food watchdog group – Dannon uses an component referred to as carmine to provide a number of its fruit-flavored yogurt a pink color.  Carmine is really a vibrant red-colored dye produced from the aluminum salt of carminic acidity, which naturally happens within the scales of cochineal bugs.  

Around 40,000 cochineal bugs are necessary to produce only one pound of cochineal extract for that carminic acidity, based on the Food and Agriculture Organization.  In order to get the substance, the insects’ physiques are dried after which boiled in water.

The CSPI contended that Dannon’s utilization of carmine is cheating customers, who think that fruits are supplying their yogurt’s color.  They also maintain that lots of research has discovered that the insect-based dye can put many people in danger of allergic responses as well as anaphylactic shock.

"I've nothing against individuals who eat bugs, however when I purchase strawberry yogurt I am expecting yogurt and bananas, and never red-colored dye produced from bugs," CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson stated. "Since it causes allergic responses in many people, which it's not hard to use safer, plant-based colors, why would Dannon utilize it whatsoever? Why risk problem vegetarians and grossing your other clients?"

The nonprofit stated the strawberry, cherry, boysenberry and raspberry types of Dannon’s “Fruit around the Bottom” line all contain carmine, along with the strawberry flavor of Dannon’s Oikos make of Greek yogurt.  Several tastes of Dannon’s Light and Fit Avarice product and 6 of their Activa yogurts also employ the extract. However, the organization uses natural colors in the Danimals type of yogurts promoted towards children.

So that they can get Dannon to exchange its insect-based dye with increased fruit, the CSPI has produced a web-based petition on TakePart.com, advocating Dannon’s parent company Groupe Danone to alter its dying practices.

Click for additional in the Center for Science within the Public Interest.