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121:, natural-dye production gradually diminished. However, current health concerns over artificial food additives have renewed the popularity of cochineal dyes, and the increased demand has made cultivation of the insect profitable again.
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to deter predation by other insects. Carminic acid can be extracted from the insect's body and eggs to make the dye. Cochineal is primarily used as a
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98:, feeding on moisture and nutrients in the cacti. The insect produces
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59:), from which the dye is derived. The cochineal insect is a
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113:After synthetic pigments and dyes such as
70:, native to tropical and subtropical
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40:is the name of both an expensive
88:, the cochineal insect lives on
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1:
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117:were invented in the late
18:Portal:Latin America
57:Dactylopius coccus
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66:in the suborder
53:cochineal insect
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92:from the genus
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104:food colouring
68:Sternorrhyncha
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100:carminic acid
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72:South America
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119:19th century
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81:A primarily
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108:cosmetics
37:Cochineal
115:alizarin
106:and for
86:parasite
51:and the
95:Opuntia
83:sessile
46:carmine
42:crimson
76:Mexico
64:insect
90:cacti
61:scale
16:<
74:and
49:dye
44:or
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78:.
55:(
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