Smarties Easter Eggs contain BUGS

[Boden13]

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.

Apropos of nothing, a shot of Tia Maria mixed with 2 shots of fresh orange juice tastes ^exactly* like orange Smarties.

Just thought you might want to know.

Alcohol? Not for a veggie, surely?

Although it's amazing how many times I've been lectured about black olives and parmesan cheese by someone getting stuck into a bottle of wine...

Is this to do with fish scales being used in the wine-making process or am I being dense?

Yeah - the fining process - isinglass, albumin, gelatine etc.

Who? Me keep up with the current affairs? I can just about keep up with what's going on under my own roof!

Very unethical of me but two-finger KitKat and a cup of coffee? Nevermind the kiddies in Africa.

JOKE.

Isinglass (pronounced /ˈaɪzɪŋɡlæs, ˈaɪzɪŋɡlɑːs/) is a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is a form of collagen used mainly for the clarification of wine and beer. It can also be cooked into a paste for specialized gluing purposes.

BoB.. Do you buy Whizzers? DS loves his 'beans' though they do look odd until you get used to the pale colour

noooooooo, never heard of them, what are they?

Fucking hell I've just stolen eaten the whole of DD's shaker smarties egg (she's only 1) & read this thinking I'd be getting the D&V now! (tbf I might)