Sixteen years ago when my daughter was pregnant with our grandson,  she dropped by to ask me about her new prenatal vitamins.  I had recently been introduced to supplements which stressed natural organic ingredients and I had encouraged her to read the labels of anything she was taking.

Her concern was concerning the word “shellac” on the label. Her understanding of that definition was that of a product that is used to finish wood.  I was very familiar with shellac; I had used it many times when I refinished furniture.  Needless to say she decided not to take those prenatals and went with the ones I had discovered.

I only mention this now as I just discovered that shellac is actually from the secretions of a lac beetle found in India and Thailand, and are used to give confections such as Skittles and candy sprinkles a shiny coating.  I am not sure which sounds worse…something that is used to finish wood or the secretions of a lac beetle!

Beginning in January the Food and Drug Administration is going to require  food manufacturers to be more explicit in their labeling.  In other words, when you see  that great red, pink and purple color in your foods  such as ice cream, yogurt, fruit juices and more, it will have to be listed as carmine, the dried and crushed bodies of the female cochineal insect.  Yes I said insect.   Instead of just listed as “color added” we will begin to see the label read “carmine” or “cochineal extract.”  I would definitely recommend reading your labels!

“Consumers should know what’s going into their food “to promote safe, healthy diets,” said Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and part of the effort to require manufacturers to change their product labels.

Because these ingredients can cause severe allergic reactions some manufacturers have actually stopped using carmine due to lawsuits.  Requesting the FDA to label carmine as insects instead of carmine or cochineal (which most of us don’t recognize as bugs) is something the CSPI wants.  Of course the industry is afraid people will then think again before purchasing the product.  Is that fruit or isn’t it that gives that wonderful purple color?

I think the most disturbing fact I learned from this article is about the rennet that is in literally all of the cheese I consume.  This product is actually an enzyme taken from veal calves at the time of slaughter and added to milk to make cheese.    These enzymes are produced in a mammals stomach. Yummy. Rennet works by coagulating the milk which separates the cheese in to curds and whey.  To choose a nonanimal version it would have to be labeled microbial enzyme or vegetable rennet.  Again, reading labels can make a difference!

How about you?  Are you a label reader?

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