In the May issue of their Fearless Flyer, Trader Joe's advertises their Meatless Corndogs which they characterize with the word "vegetarian".  However, these Meatless Corndogs contain "carmine", a red dye derived from the critter pictured at right.  To see these animals in their natural habitat, check out these great photos from the collection of UC Irvine Prof. Peter J. Bryant.

Legally, a product may be labeled as "Meatless" and include insects like the cochineal.  But what about advertising it as "vegetarian"?

So popular is the cochineal blood that "by 1600, cochineal was second only to silver as [Europe's] most valuable import from Mexico" See The Bug That Changed History or check out the book A perfect red : empire, espionage, and the quest for the color of desire . 

But, Trader Joe, must you put this in "meatless" corn dogs? 

My sister asks a fair question: why not use beet juice?  Beet juice is an excellent bug-free souce of red dye.

A saying comes to mind that has endured in our family since that dinner in Chinatown.  "No meat.  Just a little."

You might wonder if it's just Trader Joe's branding of the Morningstar Farms product.

Apparently not. 

Per Morningstar's website, they're using Red #3.  Also known as Erythrosine (Tetraiodofluorescein), it is a cherry-pink coal based fluorone food dye.

Yes, Trader Joe, we'd rather eat coal.