Everything about Cochineal totally explained
Cochineal is the name of both
crimson or
carmine dye and the
cochineal insect (
Dactylopius coccus), a
scale insect in the suborder
Sternorrhyncha, from which the dye is derived. There are other species in the genus
Dactylopius which can be used to produce cochineal extract, but they're extremely difficult to distinguish from
D. coccus, even for expert taxonomists, and the latter scientific name (and the use of the term "cochineal insect") is therefore commonly used when one is actually referring to other biological species; suffice it to say that the reader should be aware that there's more than one cochineal insect. The primary biological distinctions between species are minor differences in host plant preferences, in addition to very different geographic distributions.
D. coccus itself is native to tropical and subtropical
South America and
Mexico.
This type of insect, a primarily
sessile parasite, lives on
cacti from the genus
Opuntia, feeding on moisture and nutrients in the cacti. The insect produces
carminic acid which deters predation by other insects. Carminic acid can be extracted from the insect's body and eggs to make the dye. Cochineal is primarily used as a
food colouring and for
cosmetics.
After synthetic pigments and dyes such as
alizarin were invented in the late 19th century, natural-dye production gradually diminished. However, current health concerns over artificial food additives have renewed the popularity of cochineal dyes, and the increased demand has made cultivation of the insect profitable again.
History
The cochineal dye was used by the
Aztec and
Maya peoples of Central and North America. Eleven cities conquered by
Montezuma in the 15th century paid a yearly tribute of 2000 decorated cotton blankets and 40 bags of cochineal dye each. During the colonial period the production of cochineal (
grana fina) grew rapidly. Produced almost exclusively in
Oaxaca, Mexico by indigenous producers, cochineal became Mexico's second most valued export after silver. The dyestuff was consumed throughout Europe and was so highly prized that its price was regularly quoted on the London and Amsterdam Commodity Exchanges.
After the
Mexican War of Independence in 1810–1821, the Mexican monopoly on cochineal came to an end. Large scale production of cochineal emerged especially in Guatemala and the Canary Islands. The demand for cochineal fell sharply with the appearance on the market of
alizarin crimson and many other artificial dyes discovered in Europe in the middle of the 19th century, causing a significant financial shock in Spain as a major industry almost ceased to exist.
In recent years it has become commercially valuable again, though most consumers are unaware that the phrases "cochineal extract", "carmine", "crimson lake", "natural red 4", "C.I. 75470", "E120", or even "natural colouring" refer to a dye that's derived from an insect. One reason for its popularity is that, unlike many commercial synthetic red dyes, it isn't toxic or carcinogenic. However, the dye can induce an anaphylactic shock reaction in a small number of people.
Biology
Cochineal insects are soft-bodied, flat, oval-shaped scale insects. The females, wingless and about 5 mm (0.2 in) long, cluster on cactus pads. They penetrate the cactus with their beak-like mouthparts and feed on its juices, remaining immobile. After mating, the fertilized female increases in size and gives birth to tiny
nymphs. The nymphs secrete a
waxy
white substance over their bodies for protection from water and excessive sun. This substance makes the cochineal insect appear white or grey from the outside, though the body of the insect and its nymphs produces the red pigment, which makes the insides of the insect look dark purple. Adult males can be distinguished from females by their diminutive size and their wings.
It is in the nymph stage (also called the
crawler stage) that the cochineal disperses. The juveniles move to a feeding spot and produce long wax filaments. Later they move to the edge of the cactus pad where the wind catches the wax filaments and carries the cochineals to a new host. These individuals establish feeding sites on the new host and produce a new generation of cochineals. Male nymphs feed on the cactus until they reach sexual maturity; when they mature they can't feed at all and live only long enough to fertilize the
eggs. They are therefore seldom observed. All of the host plants of cochineal colonies were identified as species of
Opuntia including
Opuntia amyclaea,
O. atropes,
O. cantabrigiensis,
O. brasilienis,
O. ficus-indica,
O. fuliginosa,
O. jaliscana,
O. leucotricha,
O. lindheimeri,
O. microdasys,
O. megacantha,
O. pilifera,
O. robusta,
O. sarca,
O. schikendantzii,
O. stricta,
O. streptacantha, and
O. tomentosa.
Several natural enemies can reduce the population of the insect on its cacti hosts. Of all the predators, insects seem to be the most important group. Insects and their larvae such as
pyralid moths (order
Lepidoptera), which destroy the cactus, and predators such as
lady bugs (
Coleoptera), various
Diptera (such as
Syrphidae and
Chamaemyiidae),
lacewings (
Neuroptera) and ants (
Hymenoptera) have been identified, as well as numerous
parasitic wasps. Many birds; human-
commensal rodents, especially rats; and reptiles also prey on cochineal insects. In regions dependent on cochineal production,
pest control measures have to be taken seriously. For small-scale cultivation manual methods of control have proved to be the most effective and safe. For large-scale cultivation advanced pest control methods have to be developed, including alternative bioinsecticides or traps with
pheromones.
Dye
A deep crimson dye is extracted from the female cochineal insects. Cochineal is used to produce
scarlet,
orange and other red tints. The colouring comes from
carminic acid. Cochineal extract's natural carminic-acid content is usually 19–22%.
Usage
Traditionally cochineal was used for colouring
fabrics. During the colonial period, with the introduction of sheep to Latin America, the use of cochineal increased, as it provided the most intense colour and it set more firmly on
woolen garments than on clothes made of materials of pre-Hispanic origin such as
cotton,
agave fibers and
yucca fibers. Once the European market had discovered the qualities of this product, their demand for it increased dramatically. Carmine became strong competition for other colourants such as
madder root,
kermes,
Polish cochineal,
brazilwood, and
Tyrian purple, as they were used for dyeing the clothes of
kings,
nobles and the
clergy. It was also used for painting,
handicrafts and
tapestries. Sometimes carmine is labelled as
E120. An unknown percentage of people have been found to have allergies to carmine, ranging from mild cases of hives to
atrial fibrillation and
anaphylactic shock. Carmine has been found to cause asthma in some people. The water-soluble form is used in
alcoholic drinks with calcium carmine; the insoluble form is used in a wider variety of products. Together with ammonium carmine they can be found in
meat,
sausages, processed
poultry products (meat products can't be coloured in the United States unless they're labeled as such),
surimi,
marinades, alcoholic drinks, bakery products and toppings,
cookies,
desserts, icings, pie fillings,
jams, preserves,
gelatin desserts,
juice beverages, varieties of
cheddar cheese and other
dairy products,
sauces and sweets. The average human consumes one to two drops of carminic acid each year with food. A significant proportion of the insoluble carmine pigment produced is used in the cosmetics industry for hair- and skin-care products,
lipsticks, face powders,
rouges, and blushes.
A bright red dye and the
stain carmine used in microbiology is often made from the carmine extract, too.
The pharmaceutical industry uses cochineal to colour
pills and
ointments.
[Further Information]
Get more info on 'Cochineal'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://cochineal.totallyexplained.com">Cochineal Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
