INS 120 is the code for cochineal
A deep crimson colour, used where a red has to survive heat and light - sweets, jams, flavoured yoghurt, some meat products and cosmetics. It is extracted from the dried bodies of the cochineal insect, which is why it counts as a natural colour and as an animal ingredient at the same time.
- What it does
- Colours the food A colour
- Also printed as
- Carmine · Carminic acid · Natural Red 4
- Vegetarian?
- Not vegetarian From animals
- In the Zabel score
- 6 of the 20 additive points Method 1.0.0
- In our catalogue
- 3 packs List it in their ingredients
Is INS 120 vegetarian?
INS 120 is made from animal material, so it is not vegetarian. A pack that lists it should carry the brown mark.
Too few packs in our catalogue list INS 120 for a breakdown by food to mean anything yet. We print one once at least 20 categorised packs carry it.
What does the evidence say about INS 120?
We grade an additive by the evidence about it, not by whether it sounds like a chemical, and we make no claim about whether a pack complies with FSSAI rules.
Not a toxicological concern at the levels used: JECFA has set an acceptable daily intake and EFSA's 2015 re-evaluation raised no safety objection. The reason it matters is different. It is one of the few colours with documented immediate allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in a small number of people - the residual insect protein rather than the pigment is thought to be responsible - and it is animal-derived, so it makes a pack non-vegetarian whatever else is in it. Indian packs containing it must carry the brown non-vegetarian mark.
Does Zabel mark INS 120 down?
Yes, by 6 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0). Read the method.
Questions people search
What is INS 120?
INS 120 is the code for cochineal, a colour. A deep crimson colour, used where a red has to survive heat and light - sweets, jams, flavoured yoghurt, some meat products and cosmetics. It is extracted from the dried bodies of the cochineal insect, which is why it counts as a natural colour and as an animal ingredient at the same time.
Is INS 120 vegetarian?
INS 120 is made from animal material, so it is not vegetarian. A pack that lists it should carry the brown mark.
What does the evidence say about INS 120?
Not a toxicological concern at the levels used: JECFA has set an acceptable daily intake and EFSA's 2015 re-evaluation raised no safety objection. The reason it matters is different. It is one of the few colours with documented immediate allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in a small number of people - the residual insect protein rather than the pigment is thought to be responsible - and it is animal-derived, so it makes a pack non-vegetarian whatever else is in it. Indian packs containing it must carry the brown non-vegetarian mark.
Does Zabel mark INS 120 down?
Yes, by 6 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0).
What other names is INS 120 printed under?
Packs also print it as Carmine, Carminic acid and Natural Red 4, or as the bare number 120 in brackets after the ingredient.
Sources
- 01 Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of cochineal, carminic acid, carmines (E 120) as a food additive EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food, 2015
- 02 Evaluations of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) WHO / FAO, 2024
- 03 Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 FSSAI, 2020
- 04 Zabel catalogue - pack counts, food categories and the codes printed alongside 4 Nov 2026
Entry updated 19 Sep 2026 · Not reviewed by a dietitian yet · Report an error on this page
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