Cochineal : a bright red animal dye.

The natural red animal dye cochineal has been in use for at least three thousand years. It was one of the ten most frequently used ancient dyes. Cochineal was used by the Aztec, Mixtec, and Zapotec Indians when Cortez arrived in the New World. It has always been very valuable to the indigenous who used the dye and was frequently given as a tribute. The Spanish capitalized on this valuable dye, and for three hundred and fifty years cochineal was shipped to the European markets. Sale of cochineal dye fell drastically when natural dyes were replaced by aniline dyes. Today, cochineal is in demand as a coloring agent in foods, medicines, cosmetics, and laboratory stains. The coloring substance of cochineal dye is carminic acid. In recent years the quantity being imported by the United States has increased due to the decline in the use of some synthetic dyes. In Oaxaca, Mexico, the major supplier of cochineal during Spanish Colonial days, there has been an effort to re-establish the cochineal industry. Today the bulk of cochineal comes to the Unites States from Peru.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

1992

Author dc:creator

• Dutton, LaVerne M.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Alexander, W. M.

• Cochineal.
• Dyes and dyeing.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14569

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14569