Natural Red 4...

...is a popular food coloring used NOT to be confused with Red Dye #40. This commonly used in our 'red' foods like yogurts, tomato products, candy, juices, and cosmetics.

Would you believe me if I said this food coloring is derived directly from insects?

GROSS, right?
Let's break it down:

Natural Red 4 is known under a few aliases: Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470, or E120

It is created from the insects seen above, which are found in places like Peru the surfaces of cacti. These insects are scraped off, either boiled or dried, and their abdomens are literally pounded to create the 'red' coloring that, after a little processing, is now ready to be mixed into your ketchup! 

So next time you eat something red, be aware that these insects may be in any one of these types of products!

• Food Industry – Frozen fish, meat, etc.
• Beverage Industry – Soft drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, etc.
• Alcoholic Beverages – Products with low pH requiring red or orange tones
• Dairy Industry – Yogurts, ice cream and dairy based beverages
• Confections – Candy, fillings, syrups, chewing gum, etc.
• Fruit Preparations – Canned fruits such as cherries, Jams, Pulp, etc.
• Cosmetic Industry – Dispersions close to eye area, eye shadows, lipsticks, etc.
• Others – Ketchup, powdered drinks, dehydrated soups, canned soups, etc

http://gentleworld.org/natural-colors-carmine-cochineal/