What Is Annatto?

Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on July 25, 2024
7 min read

Annatto is a natural food coloring and spice derived from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana). "Achiote" is the Spanish word for annatto.

About 70% of natural food colors come from annatto. This seed adds a yellow-orange color to foods like cheese, butter, yogurt, sausage, smoked fish, ice cream, and baked goods.

Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana gave annatto its name when he explored the length of the Amazon River in the 1500s. The Aztecs and other indigenous people living in Mexico, Central America, and South America used annatto to make fabric dyes and red body paint. They also used it to make lipstick, which is where achiote gets its other name: lipstick tree. Other uses for annatto are as a spice and in traditional medicine. 

Annatto is safe to eat in small amounts. Rarely, people who are sensitive to it have had side effects like hives or stomach problems after eating it.

Annatto plant

Annatto comes from Bixa orellana, a small shrub or tree that grows in tropical forests of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and East India. Growing on the tree are clusters of reddish-brown fruit covered in soft, spiky bristles. Each fruit contains 10 to 50 small seeds.

People extract annatto from the waxy outer coating on the fruit's seeds. The color comes from carotenoid pigments called bixin and norbixin in the seeds.

What does annatto taste like?

Annatto adds a slightly sweet and peppery flavor to foods. It also has a somewhat musky taste that's comparable to paprika or saffron. Some people use annatto as a cheaper substitute for saffron in recipes. In fact, annatto earned the name "poor man's saffron" because it gives food a similar golden color.

The main uses for annatto today are as a food coloring and flavoring. It's an ingredient in Latin American and Caribbean dishes like rice, beans, soups, stews, and tamales.

Food companies add annatto to foods like:

  • Margarine
  • Cheeses such as Red Leicester and Cheshire
  • Ice cream
  • Smoked fish like cod and herring
  • Rice
  • Baked goods

Indigenous people in Central and South America have used annatto as a:

  • Paint to decorate pottery, utensils, gourds, and weapons
  • Dye for silk and other fabrics
  • Body, face, and hair dye (including war paint)

Parts of the achiote tree also have been used in traditional medicine. People have used annatto as an insect repellent, sunscreen, and germ-killing antiseptic. It's also been a treatment for:

  • Asthma
  • Burns
  • Cancer
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea and other stomach upset
  • Fever
  • Heartburn
  • Infectious diseases like measles and gonorrhea
  • Skin diseases
  • Urinary infections
  • Wounds

Many of these supposed health benefits are unproven. Others have at least some evidence to back them up.

Annatto has been part of traditional medicine for centuries. Researchers have discovered anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-cancer properties, among other benefits. It's important to note that most of these studies were done in labs or in animals, not in humans.

Antioxidant

Annatto is a source of antioxidants like carotenoids, tocotrienols, tocopherols, terpenes, and flavonoids. Antioxidants are natural substances that protect cells against damage from harmful molecules called free radicals. Free radicals may play a role in diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Anti-cancer

Early research suggests that substances in annatto have anti-cancer properties. In one study, the carotenoid bixin from annatto seed extract killed myeloma cells, a type of blood cancer, in the lab. Tocotrienol, a form of vitamin E found in annatto, stopped the growth of prostate cancer and bone cancer cells in other research. Scientists still need to confirm these findings in human studies. Annatto doesn't seem to help with noncancerous prostate growth (BPH). 

Cholesterol lowering

Norbixin and bixin are antioxidants in annatto. These substances may help to lower cholesterol. In rabbits, norbixin supplements increased levels of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and lowered unhealthy triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Bixin improved cholesterol levels in rats. Whether these antioxidants might lower cholesterol in humans is still unknown.

Germ fighting

This food coloring may kill bacteria and fungi. In test tube studies, annatto stopped the growth of several bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, which causes lung and skin infections, and Clostridium perfringens, which is a common cause of food poisoning.

Anti-inflammatory

Extracts from the annatto plant may help to reduce inflammation in the body. Research has found that annatto extracts bring down allergy-like swelling in the paws of rats. Annatto may work by blocking substances like bradykinin and nitric oxide that promote inflammation.

Annatto is considered safe for most people to eat in the small amounts contained in food. It does not appear to alter DNA or increase the risk for cancer.

In Europe, a panel on food additives couldn't confirm the safety of annatto extract. But the panel was able to figure out an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of the antioxidants it contains: 6 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight for bixin and 0.3 mg per kg of body weight for norbixin. Amounts of these substances in foods are usually below these limits.

Rarely, people who are allergic to annatto have developed symptoms like hives, swelling of the face, and low blood pressure after being exposed to it. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms like belly pain, diarrhea, and bloating have also been reported, but this side effect is very rare.

Annatto didn't cause any problems in pregnant rats studied. Because there isn't enough evidence to confirm whether it's safe during pregnancy in humans, pregnant women should not eat more than the amount that's usually in food. 

Annatto comes in several forms, including seeds, paste, oil, extract, and powder. Each one has different uses.

Annatto seed

The seed is the part of the plant that the yellow-orange pigment comes from. The outer coating of the seed contains the antioxidant pigments bixin and norbixin.

Annatto paste

Annatto or achiote paste is a combination of ground annatto seeds, plus spices and herbs like cumin, coriander, and oregano. One way to make it is to boil annatto seeds in water until a paste forms and then dry it in the sun. Annatto paste is an ingredient in Mexican, Central American, and Caribbean dishes. People add it to sauces, marinades, and rubs for meat, chicken, and fish. It gives food a sweet, spicy, and smoky flavor.

Annatto oil

To make this oil, you cook annatto seeds in a hot vegetable oil like olive, canola, or corn oil until the outer skin dissolves. Then you remove the seeds from the mixture. Annatto oil adds an appetizing orange-red color to dishes.

Annatto extract

Companies make annatto extract by combining the outer layer of the annatto seed with a liquid like vegetable oil or alcohol. They then treat the mixture with food-grade acid to separate out the annatto pigment. The pigment may be suspended in water or oil, or dried into a powder. Uses for annatto extract are as a coloring and dye in foods, medicines, and cosmetics.

Annatto powder

People make this orange-yellow powder by grinding up annatto seeds. Annatto powder is a flavoring and coloring in Mexican and South American dishes. It's also an ingredient in fabric dyes, cosmetics, and body paint.

You can use annatto seeds, extract, oil, and powder for many different purposes. It can be a(n):

  • Ingredient in soups and stews
  • Marinade for meat, chicken, and fish
  • Natural type of lipstick and other makeup
  • Clothing dye

Annatto coloring

Indigenous peoples who lived in the area that stretches from Mexico to South America used annatto as a coloring for foods, clothing, and makeup before artificial dyes were available. In dishes, annatto was a cheaper alternative to saffron for giving food an appealing orange-yellow color. Many food products, including margarine, cheese, and baked goods, still contain annatto coloring.

If you want to give food a reddish, yellow, or orange color but you can't find annatto, these spices are good alternatives:

  • Paprika
  • Turmeric
  • Chili powder
  • Harissa
  • Sambal oelek
  • Sazón seasoning

Annatto is a natural food coloring and spice that comes from the seeds of the achiote tree. It's a staple in Mexican, Central American, and South American cuisine. Indigenous peoples have used annatto as a food ingredient, dye, cosmetic, and medicine for centuries. Researchers are studying annatto for its possible antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other health properties.

What does annatto do to your body?

This spice may have anti-inflammatory, germ-fighting, and antioxidant properties, as well as other health benefits. However, the research on annatto is still early.

Are paprika and annatto the same?

No. Annatto comes from the seeds of the achiote tree. Paprika is a different spice that's made from the dried and ground Capsicum annum pepper. Annatto is slightly sweet, peppery, and smoky. Paprika comes in sweet, smoky, and spicy forms.

Is annatto safe in food?

Annatto is safe to eat in the amounts used in food. Rarely, people have had allergic reactions or stomach problems from this spice.

Which foods have annatto in them?

Annatto is in foods like cheese, margarine and butter, smoked fish, sausage, and some baked goods.

Is annatto FDA approved?

Annatto isn't FDA-approved, but the FDA does consider annatto extract safe to use as a food coloring.

Is annatto natural or synthetic?

Annatto is a natural food extract that comes from the seeds of the Bixa orellana tree.

Does annatto have MSG?

Annatto doesn't contain the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG), but some sazón spice blends that include annatto do have MSG in them.

Why is annatto added to cheese?

Some companies add annatto to cheeses like cheddar and Colby to give them a natural orange color.

Is annatto extract a chemical?

Annatto extract contains natural plant chemicals called carotenoids, which include bixin and norbixin.