Carminic acid

Carminic acid is the water-soluble red pigment obtained from the dried bodies of cochineal insects, Coccus cacti. Its colour is orange to red, depending on pH, shifting with acidity in a way dyers and food colorists must account for. Carmine is the insoluble aluminium lake of carminic acid, the more widely used food-colour form because it is stable and easy to disperse. Both must be declared on ingredient labels, and because they are insect-derived they are unsuitable for vegan diets and some religious observances.