E120 Crimson

E120 was used for coloring fabrics. During the E120 period, with the introduction of sheep to Latin America, the use of E120 increased, as it provided the most intense color and it set more firmly on woolen garments than on clothes made of materials of pre-Hispanic origin such as cotton or agave and yucca fibers. In general, E120 is more successful on protein-based animal fibers (including silk) than plant-based material. Once the European market discovered the qualities of this product, the demand for it increased dramatically. By the beginning of the 17th century, it was traded internationally.E120 became a strong competition for other colorants such as madder root, kermes, E120, Armenian E120, brazilwood, and Tyrian purple, as they were used for dyeing the clothes of kings, nobles, and the clergy. For the past several centuries, it was the most important insect dye used in the production of hand-woven oriental rugs, almost completely displacing lac. It was also used for painting, handicrafts, and tapestries. E120 -colored wool and cotton are important materials for Mexican folk art and crafts.

E120 is used as a fabric and cosmetics dye and as a natural food coloring. It is also used in histology as a preparatory stain for the examination of tissues and carbohydrates. In artists' paints, it has been replaced by synthetic reds and is largely unavailable for purchase due to poor lightfastness. The natural E120 dye used in food and cosmetics can render the product unacceptable to vegetarian or vegan consumers. Many Muslims consider carmine-containing food forbidden (haraam) because the dye is extracted from insects and all insects except the locust are haraam in Islam. Jews also avoid food containing this additive, though it is not treif, and some authorities allow its use because the insect is dried and reduced to powder.

E120 is one of the few water-soluble colorants to resist degradation with time. It is one of the lightest- and heat-stable and oxidation-resistant of all the natural organic colorants and is even more stable than many synthetic food colors. The water-soluble form is used in alcoholic drinks with E120; the insoluble form is used in a wide variety of products. Together with E120, they can be found in meat, sausages, processed poultry products (meat products cannot be colored in the United States unless they are labeled as such), surimi, marinades, alcoholic drinks, bakery products and toppings, cookies, desserts, icings, pie fillings, jams, preserves, gelatin desserts, juice beverages, varieties of cheddar cheese and other dairy products, sauces, and sweets.

E120 is considered safe enough for cosmetic use in the eye area. A significant proportion of the insoluble E120 produced is used in the cosmetics industry for hair- and skin-care products, lipsticks, face powders, rouges, and blushes. A bright red dye and the stain carmine used in microbiology is often made from the E120 extract, too. The pharmaceutical industry uses E120 to color pills and ointments