What it is and where it comes from
Carmine is a deep red colour made from the dried bodies of the female cochineal, a small insect farmed on cactus plants, mainly in Peru and the Canary Islands. About 70,000 insects make one pound of dye. It is one of the few colours that stays red in yoghurt and drinks, which is why it is popular.
What scholars say
- Hanafi school: all insects except locusts are not permitted as food, so most Hanafi scholars do not allow carmine.
- Shafi'i and Hanbali schools: insects other than locusts count as repulsive things (khaba'ith) that may not be eaten, so most scholars of these schools avoid carmine too.
- Maliki school: insects may be eaten when they are killed with the intention of eating and are not harmful, so many Maliki scholars allow carmine.
- Indonesia's Ulema Council (MUI) ruled in 2011 that cochineal colouring is permitted as long as it is useful and not harmful. Some scholars add that the colour is a tiny amount fully mixed into the food.
Where you find it
Strawberry and cherry yoghurts, red sweets, ice cream, fruit drinks, biscuits with pink icing, some sausages, and lipstick.
What to look for on the label
Look for E120, carmine, cochineal, carminic acid or "natural red 4". Products labelled vegan never contain it. If you avoid it, beetroot red (E162), paprika (E160c) and anthocyanins (E163) are plant based.
This is a guide, not a fatwa. Recipes change, so check the label, look for halal certification, and ask your local imam where scholars differ.