ANNATTO ORANGE

Annatto orange is an orange-red condiment and fabric dye derived from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa Orellana). Fabrics are often dyed with it to impart a yellow or orange tint. Annatto is mostly found in tropical America. The seeds of this plant are covered with a reddish aril, which is the source of an orange-yellow dye. Besides its use as a natural dye for fabric and wool, annatto paste is also used in the manufacture of cosmetics, varnish, lacquers, and soaps. Among the many molecules in annatto, mainly bixin and norbixin are found in the reddish-yellow waxy coating. In order to produce the paste, the seeds of the achiote tree are ground to a fine powder. You can obtain similar effects by extracting some of the colour and flavour principles from the seeds with hot water, oil, or lard, which can then be added to the food or fabrics.