The scientists said that vitamin B2 treatment could prove as effective as drug treatments, but with fewer side effects. Cochineal, also called carmine, is a common red dye used as a coloring agent in yogurt, fruit drinks, artificial shrimp or crab, chewable vitamins and cosmetics. Because it is made from dried bugs, and, therefore, comes from a natural source, its presence in products does not require notification on the label. This lack of labeling is unfortunate, since allergists at the University of Michigan warn that cochineal may cause allergic reactions. Health officials recommend that women take 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium a day, yet supplementing at this level may result in the loss of zinc.
Experts recommend that women also increase their zinc intake when taking calcium supplements.
Out of 30,000 projects in the agency's database, only 34 are concerned specifically with organic agriculture. As a result of pressure from the food industry, however, the radura is no longer required, and the irradiation disclosure can be set in very tiny print so as to be almost unnoticeable.