Some red food coloring comes from beetles

Okay, yuck! In case you need another reason to do some research on the foods you buy, here's one: some red food colorants are made from ground beetles. Known as cochineal and carmine extracts, these colorants are derived from South and Central American beetles, and are used frequently to color candy, yogurt, juices, makeup and more. While many sources claim that the colorant is generally harmless, this article states that the substance has caused life-threatening allergic reactions in the past.

Obviously, the presence of insects raises concern for people following a vegetarian, vegan or kosher diet. Self Magazine's August issue reports that the FDA is under pressure to start requiring companies to label the additives as what they are, rather than allowing them to get away with simply putting 'color added' on the ingredients label.

Brings a whole new meaning to the term "Beetlejuice", doesn't it?