UK Parliament home

This petition was submitted during the 2015 to 2017 Parliament

View other petitions from this Parliament

Closed Ban E120, Carmine, Natural Red 4 From Use in UK Food

Closed on

I am 15 and I have been a vegetarian for about 7 years, and over this time I have discovered lots of ingredients in food that are not suitable for vegetarians. One on these ingredients is E120, Carmine. It is an unnecessary red food colourant made from the pulverised bodies of the cochineal insect.

Over 20 Billion cochineal insects are killed each year just to make the food additive E120. There are many other alternative red food colourants that don't involve the killing of insects or any other animals, like E162, Betanin. I am amazed that this colourant is still legal for use in the UK. E120 is mostly used in red sweets and drinks. Vegetarian or not, would anyone want to eat these insects?

References: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betanin http://youtu.be/dJ0hNYb6nhY

29 signatures

Show on a map

10,000

Petition progress

View all updates for this petition, with the most recent first.

  • Petition closed

  • Petition published

    This petition can now be signed.

    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 21 June 2016.