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Cochineal

CAS 1260-17-9 · 80/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 6 other CAS numbers

8031-23-0 · 8047-02-7 · 85085-30-9 · 93062-68-1 · 1343-78-8 · 1390-65-4

Cochineal chemical structure

Concern score

80/100Critical concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

Cochineal in plain language

What it is

On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “CI 75470”.

Also known as CI 75470 · Cochineal extract · Carmines · Cochineal (E120) · Cochineal scale colorant · Dactylopius cacti colorant

Show all 16 names

Dactylopius coccus colorant · Pseudococcus signoreti colorant · Ca 90 · Coccus cacti colorant · Cochineal (dye) · Cochineal tincture · Enji · Kr 50A · Starred KL · Cochineal solution

What it does

Used in cosmetics as a colourant and a hair dye.

  • Colorant
  • Hair dyeing
  • Colour
  • Colourant
  • Fragrance
Is it a concern?
Critical concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

What the listings say

Permitted, with conditions — Cochineal appears on published "allowed" regulatory lists rather than on a restriction list.

Carmines is listed in Annex IV of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 (colorants allowed in cosmetic products).

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Cochineal appears in these published regulatory listings.

  • In marketed US drugs
  • EU Annex IV — permitted colorant
  • EU permitted colorant

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Beauty
  • Pharma
  • Food
  • EUCosIngActive2 entries
  • EUECallowed_listedAnnex IV of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: colorants allowed in cosmetic products. Conditions of use and warnings: Purity criteria as set out in Commission Directive 95/45/EC (E 120)
    • Annex IV of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: colorants allowed in cosmetic products. Conditions of use and warnings: Purity criteria as set out in Commission Directive 95/45/EC (E 120)Source →
  • GLOBALJECFANO ADI ALLOCATED (1977)JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED (1977). Functional class: colour.
    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED (1977). Functional class: colour.Source →
  • GLOBALJECFANO ADI ALLOCATEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: colour.
    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: colour.Source →
  • GLOBALJECFA0-5 mg/kg bw (1982)JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-5 mg/kg bw (1982). Functional class: colour.
    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-5 mg/kg bw (1982). Functional class: colour.Source →
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 102 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Food and drug. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Dye, Fragrance.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 102 composition records across product categories including Personal care, Food and drug. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Dye, Fragrance.Source →
  • USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 3 active drug products and 3 total products.
    • FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 3 active drug products and 3 total products.Source →
  • USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as structurallydiverse.
    • openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as structurallydiverse.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

  • SCCS

    EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety

    No SCCS opinion on file.

  • CIR

    Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)

    No CIR safety assessment on file.

  • JECFA

    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives

    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED (1977). Functional class: colour.

      Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: colour.

      Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-5 mg/kg bw (1982). Functional class: colour.

      Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Cochineal yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

8 data sources

Where this comes from

  • CosIng

    regulatory · updated 2026-09-23

    Open →
  • EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes

    regulatory · updated 2020-08-14

    Open →
  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated September 2013

    Open →
  • EPA DSSTox Identifiers

    chemistry · updated 2025-12-29

    Open →
  • FDA National Drug Code Directory

    regulatory · updated 2026-12-31

    Open →
  • FDA GSRS UNII

    registry · updated 2026-02-26

    Open →
  • WHO JECFA Database

    regulatory · updated 2026-10-04

    Open →
  • openFDA Substance

    registry · updated 2026-05-24

    Open →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Cochineal in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

102

Named organisations

6

Personal careFood and drug

Typical roles

ColorantHair dyeingColourColourantFragrance
See products using Cochineal →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Cochineal; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

Co-occurrence

Often appears with

Ingredients that frequently appear alongside Cochineal in the catalog.