Carmine

Q. What is carmine? Is it kosher?

A. Carmine is a bright red dye that is made from carminic acid, which is extracted from the dried skeletons of cochineal scale insects. As such, it would seem obvious that carmine should be forbidden. However, the Pischei Teshuva (YD 87:20) cites the teshuva of the Tiferes Zvi who suggests that carmine may be permitted because the insects are completely dried in the process of making this dye. The Tiferes Zvi compares carmine to dried calf stomachs which the Rema (YD 87:10) views as pareve if dried to the point that they are as hard as a piece of wood. The Pischei Teshuva (87:21) notes that the Pri Megadim and Noda B’Yehuda both disagree with the comparison of carmine to dried meat for two different reasons. The Pri Megadim writes that a dried item that is rehydrated reverts to its forbidden state. Although the cochineal insects are initially dried when they are processed, they are subsequently boiled in liquid. The Noda B’Yehuda disagrees because he maintains that the leniency of the Rema is limited to kosher meat and cannot be applied to insects. The Tiferes Zvi also is uncertain about his leniency and concludes by only allowing products produced by non-Jews that contain only a minute quantity (less than a sixtieth) of carmine. Rav Belsky zt”l as well ruled that carmine is forbidden, and this is the standard policy of most kashrus agencies.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.