This small insect, native to the Americas, was used by the Aztecs to create a vivid red dye, which would eventually ...

Cochineal—parasitic insects that live on nopal (prickly pear ... Back in Europe, there were only a few viable options for red dye, and most faded quickly or were overly complicated to produce.

About 70,000 cochineal insects are needed to produce 1 kilogram ... On an April afternoon, the scientist hovered over tiny dishes of red dye, each a slightly different ruby hue.

Companies have long used the Red 3 synthetic dye to create what Sensient officials ... a natural source might require the use of cochineal, an insect about the size of a peppercorn.

On an April afternoon, the scientist hovered over tiny dishes of red dye, each a slightly different ... source might require the use of cochineal, an insect about the size of a peppercorn.

This small insect, native to the Americas, was used by the Aztecs to create a vivid red dye, which would eventually revolutionize the European dye industry. The cochineal insect is a tiny ...

On an April afternoon, the scientist hovered over tiny dishes of red dye, each a slightly different ... source might require the use of cochineal, an insect about the size of a peppercorn.