‘Dannon’ Sparks Controversy For Using Bugs In Their Red-Colored Yogurts

Yogurt manufacturer Dannon has recently come under fire for including a rather shocking ingredient in its yogurt products: bugs.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) alleges that Dannon's strawberry, cherry, boysenberry, and raspberry flavors of its Fruit on the Bottom line yogurt all contain carmine, an insect-based color additive that gives the yogurt its brilliant red and pink color.

RELATED: Eating Insects Healthy? 5 Reasons Why You Should Eat Bugs For You And The Environment [VIDEO]

Carmine is a bright red dye derived from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which naturally occurs in the scales of cochineal insects.

Around 40,000 bugs are needed to produce just one pound of cochineal extract for the carminic acid, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. In order to obtain the substance, the insects' bodies are dried and then boiled in water.

If you're thinking you're safe because your preferences go towards the "lighter" side, the strawberry flavor Oikos yogurt, the pomegranate berry flavor of Dannon's Light and Fit line, the blueberry flavor of its Light and Fit: Greek line, along with several flavors of its Activia brand yogurt, also contain carmine.

For most consumers, carmine is safe to eat. But a small percentage of people who eat foods dyed with this particular insect extract will have allergic reactions, ranging from a mild case of hives to a dangerous anaphylactic-type reaction. This ingredient could also create an issue for some consumers who lead a vegan or Kosher lifestyle.

However, in an interview with Huffington Post, Dannon's senior director of public relations, Michael J. Neuwirth, stood by the company's use of carmine.

"Any of our products that contain carmine clearly list it as an ingredient," he said. "Anyone who wishes to avoid it can." He added that those with dietary restrictions and allergies are accustomed to reading ingredient lists.

Although Neuwirth could've been more understanding before answering, he had a point. The FDA considers carmine a natural color additive and exempts it from stringent certifications. CSPI believes, however, that Dannon should replace carmine with color from the fruits advertised on its product labels and created an online petition on TakePart.com, urging Dannon's parent company Groupe Danone to change its dying practices.

But before you stop eating yogurt at all, there's another fact the Food and Agriculture Organization made public a while ago. According to a recent report, a certain amount of insect parts in our food is considered a "natural defect." You eat 30 insect parts in a bar of chocolate and 10 insect parts in a jar of peanut butter.

Also, the FAO named bugs as a viable source of protein for the world's diet, encouraging entomophagy, which is the practice of eating insects, since it's environmentally friendly and bugs are actually high in protein, good fats and fiber.