The color of annatto comes from various carotenoid pigments, mainly bixin and norbixin, found in the reddish waxy coating of the seeds. The condiment is typically prepared by galangal alternative the seeds to a powder or paste.

A Tsàchila man, with his hair coloured with Annatto. Annatto has been traditionally used as both a coloring and flavoring agent in various cuisines from Latin America, the Caribbean, the Philippines, and other countries where it was taken home by Spanish and Portuguese colonizers in the 16th century. Annatto is commonly used to impart a yellow or orange color to many industrialized and semi-industrialized foods, including cheese, ice cream, bakery products, desserts, fruit fillings, yogurt, butter, oils, margarines, processed cheese, and fat-based products. In cheese, the yellow and orange hues naturally vary throughout the year as the cow’s feed changed: in the summer, with fresh grass and its natural carotene content, the milk produced would have a natural orange tint, as would the cheese made from it, while at other times of the year, the tint would be greatly reduced.

To fool the consumer, the cheesemakers introduced colorants to imitate the more intense colors of the finer summer cheese. Initially these colors came from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice, but later annatto began being used. In the 17th century, the Dutch, who had established colonies in Guyana, traded in food, particularly an orange-red natural colorant, annatto, with the indigenous communities. American scientist Paul Kindstedt of the University of Vermont. Gloucester cheese as early as the 16th century to allow inferior cheese to masquerade as the best Double Gloucester, with annatto later being used for that purpose. The yellow to orange color is produced by the chemical compounds bixin and norbixin, which are classified as carotenoids. The fat-soluble color in the crude extract is called bixin, which can then be saponified into water-soluble norbixin.

Annatto condiments and colorants are safe for most people when used in food amounts, but they may cause allergic reactions in those who are sensitive. Highlighting Labeling Laws for Food Additives”. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Geo 3315, Lecture Notes: Part 2. Department of Geography, University of Florida. Colorants Used During Mexico’s Early Colonial Period”.

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The Cheesemaker’s Apprentice: An Insider’s Guide to the Art and Craft of Homemade Artisan Cheese, Taught by the Masters. The seed is traditionally used to color Leicester and Cheshire cheeses. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cheese Making. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cheeses of the World: A Tasteful Guide to Selecting, Serving, and Enjoying Cheese. They’re also dyed with roucou, a natural red dye derived from the seeds of the annatto shrub. SAINT PAULIN SEMI-SOFT WASHED RIND CHEESE”. Sheridans’ Guide to Cheese: A Guide to High-Quality Artisan Farmhouse Cheeses.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Natural Colors: A Shade More Healthy”. Annatto: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings”.