This is because one of the most widely used red food colourings – carmine – is made from crushed up bugs. The insects used to make carmine are called cochineal, and are native to Latin America where they live on cacti. Now farmed mainly in Peru, millions of the tiny insects are harvested every year to produce the colouring. A staple of the global food industry, carmine is added to everything from yoghurts and ice creams, to fruit pies, soft drinks, cupcakes and donuts. It is also used extensively in the cosmetics industry and is found in many lipsticks.
