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INSECT PIGMENT

Carmine

What it is

Crushed cochineal beetles — a real pigment with five centuries of use. Ancestral, technically. Just not what the strawberry on the front implied.

Why your biology objects

Biologically benign — it's an actual animal-derived color, not a petroleum one. The only real flags are that it's an allergen for a small number of people and that it's standing in for fruit that isn't there.

Would your ancestors eat this?

Point your camera at any label and get the verdict in seconds. Coming to the App Store.

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