D.D. Williamson Launches Certified Organic Annatto Extracts in North America

Applications for water-soluble annatto include natural cheese, ice cream, snacks, breakfast cereal, and baked goods. Oil-soluble annatto can apply in process cheese, margarine, spreads, vegetable oil, salad dressing, snacks, frosting and confectionery coating.

21/04/09 D.D. Williamson announces the arrival of North America's first Certified Organic Annatto Extracts for coloring. The hue of annatto, a natural food coloring, ranges from yellow to orange. Both water-soluble and oil-soluble versions are available, Food processing customers using either of the new colorings can label "organic annatto extract" on ingredient declarations in the United States.

"Customers of our 'organic compliant' annatto products asked us to develop a range of 'certified organic' annatto so they could offer 100% certified organic food products," said Campbell Barnum, Global VP Marketing. "DDW's Science and Innovation Team responded with sourcing and extracting certified organic colorings to cover a broad range of organic food applications," added Barnum. 

Applications for water-soluble annatto include natural cheese, ice cream, snacks, breakfast cereal, and baked goods.  Oil-soluble annatto can apply in process cheese, margarine, spreads, vegetable oil, salad dressing, snacks, frosting and confectionery coating.

Annatto, a carotenoid, is extracted from the outer coat surrounding the seeds of Bixa orellana trees  - grown in South America, Central America, Caribbean, Central Africa, India, and Philippines,  Quality Assurance International (QAI), an agent for USDA's National Organic Program, certified D.D. Williamson's processing facility in Port Washington, Wisconsin.