- Ingredient Name:Annatto
- Functions:Food Coloring
- Pigment Type:Organic Pigments
ColorMaker Annatto is orange-yellow color and is extracted from the seed coats of a tropical tree, Bixa orellano. The tree has heart-shaped leaves and small pink to white flowers bearing pods, which on maturing, contain hundreds of rust-colored seeds. The rust-colored resinous material surrounding the seed is the source of annatto. The chemical name for the color principle of annatto is Bixin. It is hard to believe that the rich golden color of cheddar cheese actually comes from a plant.