Chemical Properties
The extract prepared from annatto seed, Bixa orellana (L.), using a food grade extraction solvent
Physical properties
Annatto extracts occur as dark red solutions, emulsions or suspensions in water or oil or as dark
red powders.
Uses
annatto extract (Bixaorellana) is used in creams and sun products as a colorant and a highlighter. The orange color it provides is obtained from the plant’s dried fruit, specifically the pulp.
Uses
Food coloring in dairy products, especially butter and cheese, flour confectionary, fish, meat products, soft drinks, snack foods and dry mixes. In wood stains, polish, and varnishes. Spice or condiment. Insect repellent.
Uses
Annatto is a color source of yellowish to reddish-orange color
obtained from the seed coating of the tree bixa orellanna. the oil-
soluble annatto consists mainly of bixin, a carotenoid soluble in fats
and oils with the color which is produced in the fat portion of the
food. it has a yellow hue, very good oxidation stability, fair light
stability, and good heat stability, but it is unstable above 125°c. the
water-soluble annatto is norbixin (the product resulting when bixin
is saponified and the methylethyl group is split off) which is dis-
solved as a potassium salt in lye. it is readily soluble in aqueous
alkalis with the coloring occurring in the protein and starch fraction
of the food. it has a yellow to orange hue and precipitates in most
acid foods. the usage level is 0.5–10 ppm in the finished food. it is
used in sausage casings, oleomargarine, shortening, and cheese.
Safety Profile
Moderately toxic by
intraperitoneal route. Human systemic
effects by skin contact. When heated to
decomposition it emits acrid smoke and
irritating fumes.
Synthesis
Annatto oil-soluble is obtained by extracting the seed coat with food-grade vegetable oil. Alternatively, the seed coat is extracted with an organic solvent (limited to acetone, methylene chloride, ethanol, hexane, methanol, or carbon dioxide, as specified by FAO/WHO), and then, after removing the solvent, diluted with food-grade vegetable oil.
Water-soluble annatto products are obtained by extracting the seed coat with an aqueous solution of alkali (sodium or potassium hydroxide), or by extracting the seed coat with an organic solvent (ibid.), removing the solvent and then hydrolyzing it in an aqueous solution of alkali (ibid.). Spray-dried powder products.
