Annatto extract is the only natural colour that gives a clean orange without leaning red or yellow, which is why it survives in cheese, snack seasoning and bakery despite a century of synthetic competition. The trade-off is that annatto comes in two chemically different forms, and buying the wrong one is the most common mistake in this category. Bixin is oil soluble and goes into fat. Norbixin is water soluble and goes into brine, syrup and coating. They are not interchangeable and they do not behave the same way in a finished food.
We manufacture the water-soluble form: annatto extract standardised to 5.0–6.5% norbixin on a maltodextrin carrier, built to GB 1886.316 and supplied as a dark reddish brown to purple-red powder. It dissolves in water once pre-diluted, which is the step most people skip and then wonder why they get specks.
Product Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Annatto Extract 5% (water soluble) |
| Category | Food additive / colour |
| Ingredients | Annatto, maltodextrin |
| Norbixin Content | 5.0–6.5% |
| Colour | Dark reddish brown to purple-red |
| Appearance | Powder |
| Flavour | Characteristic |
| Solubility | Water soluble |
| Solvent Residues | Acetone 30 mg/kg max; hexane 25 mg/kg max; methanol 50 mg/kg max; ethanol, isopropanol and ethyl acetate combined 50 mg/kg max |
| Arsenic | 3.0 mg/kg max |
| Lead | 2.0 mg/kg max |
| Mercury | 1.0 mg/kg max |
| Standard | GB 1886.316 |
| Packaging | 10 kg net carton, or packed to your requirement |
| Storage | Sealed, cool, dark and dry |
| Shelf Life | 24 months |
| MOQ | 10 kg (one carton); samples available |
Why Annatto Extract Has to Be Pre-Diluted
The usage instruction on the specification is a single sentence and it is the one that decides whether a production run goes smoothly: dissolve the powder completely in a small amount of water first, then dilute to the required strength. Dropping the powder straight into a large batch gives you particles that hydrate on the outside before the inside is wetted, and those particles are very hard to break up afterwards. In a clear application they show as specks; in an opaque one they show as colour variation between batches.
Once diluted, the working solution should be used the same shift. Norbixin is sensitive to light and to oxidation, and a standing solution loses strength faster than the powder does. If your process needs a hold time, make up a concentrate rather than a ready-to-use dilution and cover it.
Where Norbixin Runs Into Trouble
Norbixin is a carboxylic acid, and in acid conditions it loses solubility and can precipitate. That single property rules it out of most clear acidic beverages below roughly pH 4, where the colour will either drop out or shift. In neutral and mildly acidic systems — dairy, ice cream, processed cheese, bakery crumb, snack seasoning — it is stable and predictable.
The second thing to know is that norbixin binds to protein, and that binding shifts the hue. A dose that reads correct orange in a sugar syrup will read more red in a milk system at the same concentration. This is not a defect; it is the reason annatto colour is always developed against the actual base rather than against water. If you are reformulating a dairy product, expect to re-tune the dose rather than carry it across.
Applications
- Processed cheese, cheese analogues and cheese-flavoured snacks, where annatto is the traditional orange
- Ice cream, dairy desserts and yoghurt coatings at neutral to mildly acidic pH
- Bakery crumb, extruded snacks and seasoning blends where a water-dispersible colour is easier to meter than an oil
- Confectionery and sugar-based systems, applied as a pre-diluted working solution
Why Buyers Source Annatto From Green Spring
- The specification is built to GB 1886.316 with the norbixin band stated as 5.0–6.5%, so the colour strength range is explicit rather than implied by the name
- Solvent residues are given per solvent rather than as one compliance line, which matters if your market sets its own ceilings
- 10 kg cartons packed to order, so a trial quantity is not locked into a 25 kg drum you may never finish
- Lead, arsenic and mercury reported individually, with a batch certificate listing each figure
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this bixin or norbixin?
Norbixin — the water-soluble form, at 5.0–6.5% on a maltodextrin carrier. If you need the oil-soluble form for a fat-based system, that is bixin and it is a different product with a different specification; tell us the base and we will quote the right one.
Can it be used in an acidic drink?
Generally not below about pH 4, because norbixin loses solubility and can precipitate or shift hue. Neutral and mildly acidic systems are where this grade belongs. If your drink is acidic, the conversation needs to move to a different colour rather than a different dose.
Why does the same dose look different in milk and in syrup?
Norbixin binds to protein, and the complex absorbs differently from the free colour. The hue shifts toward red as protein content rises. Colour must be developed against the real base, which is why we recommend a trial on your matrix rather than a dose calculated from water.
What is the regulatory status?
Annatto extract is a listed colour additive in the United States under 21 CFR 73.30 and an authorised food additive in the EU as E160b. Permitted categories and maximum levels differ by market and by food category, and annatto is also one of the ingredients that some markets require to be named on the label. Confirm the permitted use and the labelling wording for your destination before finalising the specification.
Send the base, the target shade and the destination market, and we will confirm the grade and quote with a sample. Request a quotation and a sample.
