Annatto

Did you know

• The spiky seed pods contain seeds coated with bixin, a vivid orange-red carotenoid pigment used to color cheddar cheese, butter, margarine, smoked fish, and rice dishes worldwide.
• Indigenous peoples across Amazonia used annatto body paint not only for ceremonial decoration but as practical sun protection and insect repellent — the pigment has documented UV-absorbing properties.
• Bixa orellana was named by Linnaeus in honor of Francisco de Orellana, the Spanish conquistador who first navigated the entire Amazon River in 1541–42 and reportedly saw the plant in use by Amazonian peoples.
• The flowers closely resemble those of the wild rose and are pollinated by large bees; each flower lasts only one day, but a single plant can carry hundreds of blooms simultaneously.
• As a food additive, bixin (E160b) is considered so safe that it is certified organic and used in many products marketed as 'natural color' alternatives to synthetic dyes like tartrazine.

Color meanings

Uses

• dye
• food coloring
• ornamental
• cosmetic
• medicinal