Cochineal, an extract from beetles used as a food colouring, can cause
dangerous allergic reactions, according to James Baldwin of the University of
Michigan at Ann Arbor. In the latestAnnals of Allergy, Asthma and
Immunology(vol 79, p 415), Baldwin reports a case of the red dye from the
crushed exoskeleton of the cochineal beetle causing life-threatening
anaphylactic shock. The incident happened 18 months ago after a woman ate an ice
lolly coloured with the dye. Baldwin has since identified cochineal sensitivity
in two other patients and suggests that products containing the extract should
be clearly labelled.
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