Carmine (E120)
A red colour made from cochineal insects. It must be named on US labels, which makes it one of the easier additives to spot.
Also labelled as: Cochineal extract, Carminic acid, Crimson lake, Natural Red 4, CI 75470, E120.
What it is
Carmine is a deep red pigment produced from the cochineal insect, a scale insect farmed on cactus. It colours some yoghurts, sweets, fruit drinks, sausage casings, and cosmetics. Carmine and cochineal extract are related but not identical: cochineal extract is the raw colouring, carmine is the purified aluminium lake made from it.
Why the source matters
Carmine is one of very few insect-derived ingredients in ordinary packaged food, and it sits differently across dietary frameworks than plant or animal ingredients do. It is also unusual in a helpful way: US labelling rules require it to be declared by its own name rather than hidden inside a generic colour statement, so it is genuinely detectable on a label.
Carmine by dietary profile
| Profile | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Halal | Depends on the source | Rulings on insect-derived ingredients differ between schools and authorities. Many observant shoppers avoid carmine, and some certifiers do not approve it. Others permit it. This is a question for your authority, not for an app. |
| Kosher | Usually avoided | Insects are not kosher, and carmine is widely treated as not acceptable. Some authorities have historically differed. Look for a hechsher rather than reasoning from the ingredient alone. |
| Vegetarian | Usually avoided | Insect-derived. Many vegetarians avoid it, though definitions vary on whether insects count. |
| Vegan | Not suitable | Animal-derived by any definition used in vegan practice. |
| Pescatarian | Usually avoided | Insect-derived rather than plant or fish. Most people following a pescatarian diet for ethical reasons avoid it. |
| Hindu vegetarian | Not suitable | Insect-derived and not acceptable within a vegetarian framework. |
Related: Is carmine halal? answers that question on its own page, with what to look for on a package and where authorities differ.
Allergen status
Carmine is not one of the major declarable allergens, but it has been documented to cause allergic reactions in a small number of people, which is part of why the FDA requires it to be named explicitly rather than described as a generic colour.
How to spot it on a label
- Look for the words Carmine or Cochineal extract. US rules require one of these names.
- E120 is the equivalent code on EU and UK labels.
- CI 75470 is the cosmetic and colour-index name, common on lip and cheek products.
- Colour added or Artificial colour does not mean carmine, those are different compounds.
What PlatePal cannot determine
Known limits for carmine
- Whether a specific religious authority you follow permits insect-derived colour.
- Whether an imported product follows US naming rules or an equivalent local rule.
When any of these apply, PlatePal returns Insufficient data rather than a guess. A scan that says it does not know is doing its job.
Sources
Regulations change and authorities differ. This page is general information, not a religious or medical ruling. Last reviewed 2026-09-12.
Related ingredients
- Gelatin: A collagen protein set from animal hide and bone. Whether it fits your diet depends entirely on which animal it came from, and labels rarely say.
- Rennet: The enzyme that curdles milk into cheese. It can be animal, microbial, or fermentation-produced, and Enzymes on a label tells you nothing about which.
- Whey: The liquid left after milk curdles into cheese. It is always a milk allergen, and it inherits whichever coagulant made the cheese.
Back to the ingredient guide, or see how PlatePal checks a whole product with the halal, kosher, and allergen scanners.