‘That’s why these little things are red’: Man buys Nerds Gummy Clusters. He can’t believe what’s on the ingredient label
Did you know about Nerds' secret ingredient? If you are a fan of the popular candy, you may be amazed to know how the red candies are dyed.
TikToker Drew Poleske (@wowdrew) was taken aback when he found out about the carmine dye in the Ferrara Candy Company's gummy Nerd clusters. He took to his account on Oct. 19 to explain his discovery.
The video currently has nearly 40,00 views.
What is Nerds' secret ingredient?
"There are bugs in this!" Poleske explains as he shakes a bag of Nerds Gummy clusters at the camera at the beginning of his tirade.
"Nobody wanted to tell me, so I feel like I have to inform you guys," he continues.
"You see this little thing right here?" he asks, pointing out carmine color on the label's ingredients list.
"That natural color is made when you crush up these parasitic bugs and put them in water," he claims.
"And that is why these little things are red. Just wanted you to warn you guys about that," he concludes. He then pops one of the candies in his mouth.
@wowdrew informational post #nerds #gummyclusters ♬ Original sound - ♪✶
Carmine dye
Poleske isn't a conspiracy theorist about Nerds' secret ingredient. Carmine color is indeed made from insects and has been used to produce a red dye for centuries.
The dye is derived from the Dactylopius coccus, aka cochineals, "a small-scale insect native to subtropical South America," according to Harvard.edu.
Carmine is "a red-hued chemical produced by female cochineals and their eggs."
"In the 1500s, Spaniards documented widespread cochineal harvesting [of the insects] in the New World along with the preparation and trade of the dye."
Per ThoughtCo, "Today, cochineal extract is used as a natural coloring in many foods and drinks. Farmers in Peru and the Canary Islands produce most of the world's supply."
It's not just a Nerds' special ingredient. Carmine is commonly used.
Per the International Association of Color Makers:
"Carmine and cochineal can be used for coloring food, drugs, and cosmetics intended for the eye area, including meat products, seafood, confectionery, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, cider, vinegar, yogurt, baked goods, jams, jellies, dairy products, snack foods, convenient foods, fruit preparations, and seasonings.
The Daily Dot reached out to Ferrara Candy Company via email for a statement.
Viewers reaction to Nerds' secret ingredient
Despite the revelation, most viewers were less than creeped out by the "secret" ingredient.
"They don’t [change] how they taste," Dads Ashtry (@slinkyjungle) commented.
Another viewer wrote, "Bugs are in tons of stuff."
And another dismissed Poleske's supposed concerns, writing, "Carmine is in so many things and you can’t even taste it."
The Daily Dot reached out to Poleske via email and TikTok direct message for further comment.
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The post ‘That’s why these little things are red’: Man buys Nerds Gummy Clusters. He can’t believe what’s on the ingredient label appeared first on The Daily Dot.