cochineal

cochineal, red dyestuff consisting of the dried, pulverized bodies of certain cactus-eating scale insects (Dactylopius coccus). Cochineal insects are native to tropical and subtropical America, where they have long been used as a textile dye and in ceremonies. Female cochineal insects are used to produce scarlet, crimson, orange, and other tints and to prepare pigments such as lake and carmine. The dye was introduced into Europe from Mexico by Spanish colonizers. Cochineal is cultivated primarily in Peru, the world’s leading producer, with smaller commercial production in Mexico, the Canary Islands (Spain), Chile, and other regions where prickly pear cacti (Opuntia) are grown.

Physical description and cultivation

Adult female cochineal insects are small and wingless with gray bodies. They are almost completely sedentary and spend their lives under a protective waxy shell—the scale—that is secreted by the insect after it settles on the cactus where it will feed. Cochineal scales resemble white, cottony cushions. Adult males have one pair of delicate wings, and, lacking mouthparts, are short-lived. The eggs are always protected beneath the female’s body or the scale she secretes. Upon hatching, the immature cochineal insects, known as crawlers, disperse over the plant before deciding on a site to settle.

Plantations of prickly pear cacti are inoculated with immature cochineal crawlers who settle on the pads. When it is time to harvest the insects, the female cochineal are carefully brushed from the cacti into bags and are then killed by immersion in hot water or by exposure to sunlight, steam, or the heat of an oven; much of the variety in the appearance of commercial cochineal is caused by the differing modes of treatment. It takes 70,000 insects to make one pound of cochineal. See also kermes.

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The Origins of Colors, Pigments, and Dyes

Uses

Although cochineal was largely replaced by synthetic dyes and colorants in the 20th century, demand for the insect-derived dye has rebounded as consumers and manufacturers have renewed interest in natural colorants. Today, carmine remains an important coloring agent in products such as yogurt, confectionery, beverages, ice cream, processed fruit products, cosmetics, and certain medicines. In food products, cochineal-derived colorants are typically listed on ingredient labels as carmine or cochineal extract (and as E120 in many countries), rather than simply as “natural color” in order to inform consumers who wish to avoid insect-derived ingredients because of allergies, dietary restrictions, or personal preferences.

Its dyeing power is attributed to cochinealin, or carminic acid, obtained by boiling cochineal in water. Cochineal also contains glyceryl myristate (a fat) and coccerin (cochineal wax).