E120Colour
Cochineal
What the research shows
PrototypeConcerning
in studies of people
3 of 3 health findings on this page · See the findings
Used in food as a colour.
- Not vegan
- Not vegetarian
- EU permitted
What research says
Studies in people
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Concern
Skin reactions to food additives1
Carmine, a natural food colour, has been reported to cause skin reactions in some people.
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Concern
Food additive allergy2
Some people tested positive for carmine allergy, and their reactions were not tied to also being allergic to mites.
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Concern
Allergic reaction to food dye3
A boy had a severe allergic reaction after eating a frankfurter colored with cochineal.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
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Canada Permitted Health Canada · Colouring Agents
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating. A country appears here once we've found this ingredient on its official list.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 1,552 products on Open Food Facts that list cochineal.
- Yaourts à la grecque lit de fraise Envia · 600 g (4*150 g) 2 additives
- M&ms crispy M&ms · 340 g 10 additives
- Mini-Mini Chicles Gerrit 9 additives
- Fruit yogurt Lidl · 1 kg (8 x 125 g) 1 additive
- Smoked Pork Frankfurters Herta · 350 g 3 additives
- Tim Tam Arnott’s · 163 g 8 additives
References
- 1Rundle CW, Jacob SE, Machler BC. Contact Dermatitis to Carmine. Dermatitis. 2018;29(5):244-249. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000386
- 2Liippo J, Lammintausta K. Allergy to carmine red (E120) is not dependent on concurrent mite allergy. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2009;150(2):179-83. doi:10.1159/000218121
- 3Hirase S, Takeo N, Nakamura M, et al. [THE CASE REPORT OF A 8 YEARS OLD BOY WITH COCHINEAL ALLERGY]. Arerugi. 2020;69(1):48-52. doi:10.15036/arerugi.69.48