Carmine lake 50% carminic acid in standard and high-temperature grades, and water-soluble carmine 50%. A red that holds through heat and light, for food, beverages, liqueurs and amari. Evaluation samples available now. Annatto, purple corn and cochineal extract on request.
Request a SampleWe supply carmine in these three grades. Cochineal extract is available on request.
Every lot ships with a certificate of analysis stating carminic acid content and moisture. Shelf life is 24 months. A full qualification package is available on request.
Carmine holds its shade through heat and light. The lake grades go into solid, fatty and dry systems, and the water-soluble grade is chosen by the pH of the liquid it goes into. Anthocyanin reds shift toward blue or gray above roughly pH 4.2, and beet loses to heat and acid. That is why carmine is the working red in candy, dairy, seafood, meat snacks and canned fruit, and why a reformulation away from it usually costs shade, shelf life or both.
Sugared jelly candy: an acidic, sugar-coated system where the red has to hold through cooking and shelf life.
Panned candy and coated centers, gummies and jellies, hard candy, chewing gum and mints, chocolate and compound coatings.
Strawberry and cherry yogurt, ice cream and frozen desserts, cheese spreads, fillings, icings and cookies.
Surimi and seafood analogues, meat snacks and sausage, canned fruit and maraschino cherries, nectars and juice drinks, liqueurs and amari, gelatin desserts.
The water-soluble grade is the starting point for a red liqueur, aperitivo, amaro or bitter. It dissolves completely in water. The lake grades do not dissolve in water or ethanol, so they are the wrong form for a spirit.
Declared by name. FDA requires cochineal extract and carmine to be listed as "cochineal extract" or "carmine" on the ingredient statement of foods and cosmetics (21 CFR 73.100). It cannot hide inside "color added."
Exempt from certification. Carmine belongs to the class of colors exempt from certification. The word "natural" is not permitted as a color descriptor on an ingredient statement, so the label reads "carmine" and nothing more.
Not vegan, not mainline kosher. Carmine is insect-derived. For a plant-based or kosher-certified product, annatto or purple corn are the colors to evaluate instead.
Lake versus water soluble. All three grades are carmine, the aluminum-calcium complex of carminic acid, specified at 1.3% aluminum maximum. The lake grades are insoluble pigments for solid, fatty and dry systems. The water-soluble grade is made soluble with sodium hydroxide and is the grade for liquids.
| Identifier | Value |
|---|---|
| CAS | 1390-65-4 |
| INS | 120 |
| E-number | E120 |
| Color Index | 75470 |
| US regulation | 21 CFR 73.100 |
Annatto, purple corn and cochineal extract are available on request, alongside carmine. Ask for a sample of any of them.
Annatto extract (21 CFR 73.30), the orange to yellow color from the seed of the achiote tree, Bixa orellana. Water-soluble grades work from pH 5 to 8, acid-proof grades from pH 2.5. Good heat stability; light stability is its weak point, so it is not a drop-in for clear packaging. Plant-based.
Anthocyanin red to purple from purple maize. Best in acidic systems below pH 4, where it gives a clean red without any animal-derived ingredient.
The aqueous extract of the cochineal insect, with carminic acid as the coloring principle. Declared on the label as "cochineal extract" (21 CFR 73.100). Same insect source as carmine, so not vegan.
Cochineal extract in an acid-proof liquid form stays in solution in acidic beverages and liqueurs, with an orange to red shade at low pH. Purple corn gives a plant-based red below pH 4. Send the pH with your sample request.
Cochineal extract is the aqueous extract of the dried cochineal insect, with carminic acid as the coloring principle. Carmine is the aluminum lake of carminic acid, an insoluble pigment used where the color has to stay put in a solid or fatty system. Water-soluble carmine is carminic acid brought into solution, usually as an ammonium or sodium salt, for beverages, syrups and anything that has to stay clear. All three are declared by name on a US label under 21 CFR 73.100.
Carmine holds its shade through heat and light, and the grade is chosen by the pH of the system. Anthocyanin reds such as black carrot, purple sweet potato, red cabbage and hibiscus shift toward blue or gray above roughly pH 4.2, and beet color loses to heat and acid. For a panned candy, a yogurt, a surimi paste or a canned fruit that is processed hot and sold under light, carmine is the red that stays red.
By name. FDA requires cochineal extract and carmine to appear as "cochineal extract" or "carmine" on the ingredient statement of foods and cosmetics (21 CFR 73.100). Carmine is a color exempt from certification, and the word "natural" is not permitted as a color descriptor on an ingredient statement.
Yes. The water-soluble grade is the starting point for a red liqueur, aperitivo, amaro or bitter. It dissolves completely in water, and the lake grades do not dissolve in water or ethanol. On a US spirits label TTB requires the color to be disclosed by name, "contains carmine" or "contains cochineal extract" (27 CFR 5.63). Evaluation samples are 10 g, sized for bench work. Tell us the ABV and the pH of the finished spirit and we will confirm the grade.
No. Carmine is derived from the cochineal insect, so it is neither vegan nor vegetarian, and it is not accepted by the mainline kosher agencies. For a plant-based product, annatto or purple corn are the colors to look at instead, and we can source both.
Carmine lake standard 50% carminic acid, carmine lake high temperature 50%, and carmine water soluble 50%. Cochineal extract is available on request. Evaluation samples ship from our New Hampshire office. Commercial quantities ship against a purchase order, with a certificate of analysis per lot and a full qualification package on request.
Yes. Annatto extract (21 CFR 73.30) is available on request, including water-soluble annatto for liquid systems. It is plant-based, orange to yellow, and exempt from certification. Tell us the application and the pH and request a sample.
Yes, on request. Purple corn gives an anthocyanin red to purple and works best in acidic systems below pH 4. It is plant-based, so it suits products that cannot use carmine. Request a sample with your application and pH.
For an acidic beverage or liqueur, use cochineal extract in an acid-proof liquid form. It stays in solution at low pH, where carminic acid gives an orange to red shade. Purple corn is the plant-based option below pH 4. Send the pH and the target shade and we will recommend which to trial.