Dried cochineal insects — shown here in the center of the photo — can be processed to create several natural dyes such as carmine and cochineal extract. These products get their red hue from carminic ...

Safety glasses required Protective clothing and gloves suggested Caution: hot liquids Do not eat or drink any of the materials used in this activity Thoroughly wash hands after this activity Disposal: ...

The Associated Press / Jobe Washington (right) and Dwight Brown use a large sifter to mix a shade of yellow coloring on April 2 at Sensient Technologies Corp., a color additive manufacturing company ...

Centuries before the now-banned red dye No. 3 was synthesized in a lab, humans turned to insects to bring a little scarlet, vermillion or burgundy into their foods, fabrics and artwork. On Jan. 15, ...

Q: I have a backyard prickly pear with a cochineal infestation. Does that need to be treated? Do these guys ever go away on their own? Are they even actually a problem for the cactus? A: Cochineal ...

An average trip to the grocery store can yield a cartful of colorful foods. Bright among the rainbow are the reds, lending hues to products such as raspberry jam, canned cherries, strawberry licorice, ...

Have you ever heard of cochineal? And I am not referring to the upscale restaurant in Marfa, Texas, but to the small, scale insect native to our area. This insect lives on nopal, prickly pear, Opuntia ...