Does a color additive made from crushed bugs and widely used for centuries cause severe allergic reactions?
University of Michigan researcher James L. Baldwin reports in the November issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology that carmine dye, made from processed cochineal insects and used to color foods, drinks and cosmetics, caused anaphylactic shock in a patient who had eaten a red popsicle.
Baldwin claims to have confirmed this link when he made a serum from the victim's blood, added carmine dye and injected it into the arm of the victim's husband. Supposedly, the husband developed an allergic reaction at the site, thereby "confirming" Baldwin's suspicion.
And now Baldwin says that carmine dye should be listed on food labels.
Excuse me... but how about a little science here?
How does Baldwin know it was the carmine dye that caused the "allergic reaction" in the husband. I'm sure the serum made from someone else's blood had other components in addition to the carmine dye.
And shouldn't Baldwin conduct a controlled scientific experiment comparing the incidence of allergic reactions between people exposed to carmine dye and people not exposed? One person having some sort of reaction to who-knows-what doesn't quite qualify.
And don't forget, carmine dye has been widely used for a long time. How likely would it be that just now we would be discover it caused severe allergic reactions?
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