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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Smarties Easter Eggs contain BUGS

63 replies

Boden13 · 07/04/2010 14:58

Dear all,

am I the last person on this planet to realise that the packets of SMARTIES MINI EGGS that we have just consumed over Easter contain the colorant cochineal, otherwise known as carmine or E120??

It is made from the dried body of the female cochineal insect.

What do you think of this? Is it ok for NESTLE to make our children eat dead bugs? Or should I just accept that "free of artificial colours" means I have to eat bugs, full stop?

Confused,
W.

OP posts:
louii · 07/04/2010 14:59

Are your kids vegetarian?

ElleBing · 07/04/2010 15:00

I presume if you're getting twitchy about this, your kids don't eat anything containing gelatine or cheese containing rennet?

southeastastra · 07/04/2010 15:01

have you lived under a bush your entire life not to realise that red food are generally coloured with this??

CowWatcher · 07/04/2010 15:01

Hilarious! Not a serious question, surely?

Pikelit · 07/04/2010 15:02

Bugger the bugs. It is Nestle products you don't want to be buying.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 07/04/2010 15:02

Oh I wouldn't worry- my kids have been eating bugs for years- dead...alive..either/or. They are infinitely better for them than worms, I believe.

AmberTheHappyLuddite · 07/04/2010 15:02

Unless you're vegan, why do you care?

Most pink/red cakes or sweets have dead bugs in them.

CantSleepWontSleep · 07/04/2010 15:03

If you had such high principles then your kids probably wouldn't be eating Nestle things at all.

And yes, you are the last person on the planet to realise.

ASecretLemonadeDrinker · 07/04/2010 15:03

It's just the thought of it - nothing actually wrong with it (as far as know) in non Nestle products.

bintofbohemia · 07/04/2010 15:03

Crap, I can't believe they still use the stuff. The smarties my kids just ate are coloured with carrots, spirulina and crazy things like that!

(Me and my kids are veggie and don't eat rennet/gelatine or any other animal derivatives.)

bintofbohemia · 07/04/2010 15:04

(And why the tone towards the OP, ladies?!)

MrsMeow · 07/04/2010 15:05

I'm actually quite partial to a bowl full of female cochineal insects now and then.

Where can I buy these mini eggs? I'm trying to wean off eating the insects whole you see.

bellissima · 07/04/2010 15:06

Have you only just realised what cochineal is? I'm impressed (and amazed) that they still use the real thing - was buying food colouring (for DD1s school baking class thingie) the other week and it was all depressingly artificial. Do you want beetles (protein!) or chemicals??

CasaBevron · 07/04/2010 15:06

I had a penchant for worms when I was a kid. Never did me any harm

LynetteScavo · 07/04/2010 15:06

Really? I thought they didn't use genuine cochineal anymore, I thought it was all fake now!

gagamama · 07/04/2010 15:11

There will also be a smattering of cow pus from the milk used in the chocolate. And did you know, every time you swallow, you're swallowing saliva and bacteria?! It's gruesome business, this eating lark.

ElleBing · 07/04/2010 15:14

"And why the tone towards the OP, ladies"

Because it's a bit of an indulgent, middle-class thing to whine about. Does OP check for all of the other chemically shit that's added to the food she buys for her DCs? It's a dead beetle. Dead beetle -v- chemically produced dyes. Hmmmm....

MrsC2010 · 07/04/2010 15:16

This colouring is used in pretty much everything, an Easter egg is probably the least of your worries.

sheepgomeep · 07/04/2010 15:17

I knew this in secondary school.

Vallhala · 07/04/2010 15:19

I'm surprised that this is news to you OP.

Assuming that you're happy to let your children eat beef, lamb, chicken and so on, then I see no reason why you should be concerned about them eating bugs.

My DC and I don't eat Smarties, because they contain bugs... and we are vegetarian.

BelleDameSansMerci · 07/04/2010 15:20

I honestly don't believe that the real stuff is used any more. Why on earth would a manufacturer use something when there is a cheaper alternative ie synthetic?

GoldenSnitch · 07/04/2010 15:24

This is Mumsnet - the Nestle link was always going to be the most controversial!

bintofbohemia · 07/04/2010 15:25

Well if I'd just learnt this I'd be a bit too, tbh, as I don't really like to ingest bits of dead animal and I don't think that's particularly indulgent or middle class.

LetThereBeRock · 07/04/2010 15:25

It is used.People want natural flavourings and colours now Belle.
They're far more knowledgable about artificial colourings and flavourings than they used to be, and the manufacturers know that the majority of people don't want them in their products,therefore it's more profitable to use them than to use artifical colours and lose a considerable number of their customers.

Valpollicella · 07/04/2010 15:26

Ever seen this list OP, about how much buggae is allowed in food in the US?

Make sure if you ever go to America on holiday you pack enough vegan/veggie food from the UK