Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1472 of 28 September 2018 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as regards Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines (E 120) (Text with EEA relevance.)

• CELEX: Regulation (EU) 2018/1472
• Articles: 4

Article 1

In Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 whenever a reference is made to ‘E 120 Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines’ it shall be replaced by ‘E 120 Carminic acid, Carmine’.

Article 2

The Annex to Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

It shall apply from 23 October 2019.

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

ANNEX

In the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 the entry for ‘E 120 Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines’ is replaced by the following:

‘ E 120 CARMINIC ACID, CARMINE

Synonyms

CI Natural Red 4

Definition

Carminic acid is obtained from aqueous, aqueous alcoholic or alcoholic extracts from Cochineal, which consists of the dried bodies of the female insect Dactylopius coccus Costa.

Carmines are aluminium lakes of carminic acid in which aluminium and carminic acid are thought to be present in the molar ratio 1:2.

The colouring principle is carminic acid. Minor amounts of its aminated form 4-aminocarminic acid may also be present.

In commercial products the colouring principle carminic acid may be present in association with ammonium, calcium, potassium or sodium cations, singly or in combination, and these cations may also be present in excess. Commercial products may also contain proteinaceous material derived from the source insect.

Colour Index No

75470

Einecs

Carminic acid: 215-023-3; carmines: 215-724-4

Chemical name

7-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3,5,6,8-tetrahydroxy-1-methyl-9,10-dioxoanthracene-2-carboxylic acid (carminic acid); carmine is the hydrated aluminium chelate of this acid

Chemical formula

C 22 H 20 O 13 (carminic acid)

Molecular weight

492,39 (carminic acid)

Assay

Content not less than 90 % carminic acid; not less than 50 % carminic acid in the chelates.

Description

Red to dark red, friable, solid or powder

Identification

Spectrometry

Carminic acid:

Maximum in aqueous ammonia solution at ca. 518 nm

Maximum in dilute hydrochloric solution at ca. 494 nm

E 1 %/1 cm 139 at peak around 494 nm in dilute hydrochloric acid

4-aminocarminic acid:

Maximum in aqueous ammonia solution at 535 nm

Maximum in dilute hydrochloric solution at 530 nm

E 1 %/1 cm 260 at peak around 535 nm in aqueous ammonia solution, pH 9,5

In commercial products carminic acid may be differentiated from its amine by HPLC

Purity

Solvent residues

Ethanol:

Methanol:

Not more than 150 mg/kg

Not more than 50 mg/kg

Total ash

Carminic acid:

Carmine:

Not more than 5 %

Not more than 12 %

Protein (N × 6,25)

Carminic acid:

Carmine:

Not more than 2,2 %

Not more than 25 %

4-aminocarminic acid

Not more than 3 % relative to carminic acid

Matter insoluble in dilute ammonia

Carmine: Not more than 1 %

Arsenic

Not more than 1 mg/kg

Lead

Not more than 1,5 mg/kg

Mercury

Not more than 0,5 mg/kg

Cadmium

Not more than 0,1 mg/kg

Microbiological criteria

Salmonella spp.

Absent in 10 g

Aluminium lakes of this colour may be used

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