Community Chat

[Tinkrbl44]

Isn't red velvet just chocolate with red food coloring added?  

[Noel7]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

Isn't red velvet just chocolate with red food coloring added?  

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@Tinkrbl44

I don't know.

When I was a kid, warnings came out about red dye number something, saying it was dangerous, stay away from food dyed red, which we all did.   That was the beginning of my avoidence of red dyed food, but I'm sure it's fine now.

HOWEVER, then I learned several years ago that red dye is made from a certain beetle, so I continue to avoid red food that isn't natural, lol.

From the Shopes report verifying the use of Cochineal bugs:

Cochineal and its close cousin carmine (also known as carminic acid) are derived from the crushed carcasses of a particular South and Central American insect. These popular colorants, which today are used to impart a deep red shade to fruit juices, gelatins, candies, shampoos, and more, come from the female Dactylopius coccus, an insect that  inhabits a type of cactus known as Opuntia. 

Today cochineal has been surpassed as a dye for cloth by a number of synthetic pigments, but is still widely used as a coloring agent for a number of foodstuffs, beverages, and cosmetics (because many of those synthetic dyes proved dangerous to humans when taken internally or allowed to leach into the body through the skin). It takes about 70,000 insects to make one pound of cochineal.

While cochineal is used in a wide variety of foods, it is not found in kosher products because Jewish dietary laws prohibit the inclusion of insects or their parts in food. The "ewww!" factor notwithstanding, cochineal is a safe food colorant aside from a few rare cases of allergic reaction.  

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/bugjuice.asp

[LyndaGee]

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@novamc1 wrote:

@Mominohio

Waiting now for the food police (aka food nazis) to come out of the woodwork and deliver a lecture on avoiding Oreos and eating rinsed brown rice instead.    LOL!

I'm still waiting for an explanation from the food police as to how eggs can be a "cholesterol inducer".  Eggs contain cholesterol, but cannot "induce it".  If Oreos contain cholesterol, maybe the police will let folks know the science behind consuming them and how they have destroyed human health since Oreos were created.

(Yep.........I can get as snarky as the next person.)

LOL, again!!

So far, nobody is taking the bait.

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[Witchy Woman]

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@milkbone wrote:

Many many many years ago I worked for Nabisco. Part of the new hire was to GO to the Houston Nabisco bakery.

It WAS huge !!!

The ovens went on and on.......It looked longer than a football field :-)

ALL wood floors !!!!

THEN 1 lb Saltines.....49 cents !

Boy...the price of AIR has gone up !

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Now, I'd love THAT kind of trip.

Bet is smelled good in that place.

Reminds me of one of my guilty pleasure shows -- Food Factory!

I love seeing all the little products marching down the conveyor belts.

Easily amused.

[Tinkrbl44]

@Noel7

Wow .....  well, you've done a heck of a good job to get me to avoid that!       I guess this could be categorized as a "natural" appetite suppressant, lol.