what is e120 in food

E120 is a food additive that is used as a red coloring substance in various food products such as chocolate, yoghurt drinks, sausages, fish, meat, dairy, confectionery, and alcoholic and soft beverages. It is also known as carmine, cochineal, or carminic acid. E120 is obtained from the bodies of some female insects living on plant surfaces in Peru, America, and the Canary Islands, particularly from Dactylopius coccus, also known as Cochineal. The females are collected before they lay their eggs, and their shells are cleaned from the inside, dried, and treated with a solution of ammonia or sodium carbonate to produce carminic acid, which is then used to make E120. Although E120 is of natural origin, there is no scientific evidence of any benefit of carmine at the moment. The use of E120 in foods is regulated under the European Commissions directives governing food additives in general and food dyes in particular and listed under the names Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines, and Natural Red 4 as additive E 120 in the list of EU-approved food additives. In the US, E120 is exempt from certification and permanently listed for food, drugs, and cosmetics use.