Lipstick, yogurt and fabric are still colored red with crushed insects. How many insects go into one pound of cochineal red?

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It takes about 70,000 crushed cochineal insects to make a pound of carmine. Beet and berry reds turn brown under heat and fade under store lights. Carmine holds through both, which is why it is still chosen for yogurts and lipsticks.

American labels have to name it. The FDA requires any food or cosmetic containing it to print "carmine" or "cochineal extract" rather than a generic "color added." The rule exists partly because some people have allergic reactions to the insect protein.

Cochineal red is made from insects, about 70,000 per pound. It still colors lipstick, yogurt and fabric today.

Source: Journal of Integrated Pest Management (Schowalter 2025); FDA (color additive labeling rule) · checked Sep 2025