Spicy Organic pitches annatto as the natural swap for synthetic food dyes

Spicy Organic is pointing shoppers and food makers to annatto as the FDA moves to phase out several petroleum-based dyes by the end of 2026. The USDA Certified Organic spice company says the seed-based color is already approved, widely used and easy to find in stores and online.

Why it matters: - The FDA’s synthetic dye phase-out is pushing food makers to reformulate snacks, cereals, candies and drinks. - Shoppers are seeing ingredient labels change, and many are reading them more closely. - Spicy Organic is positioning annatto as a ready-made replacement for warm yellow, orange and red tones in everyday food.

What happened: - Spicy Organic, a USDA Certified Organic spice company in McKinney, Texas, highlighted annatto as a natural alternative as the FDA’s 2026 dye deadline nears. - The company said annatto can replace the color function of Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 in many foods. - The FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services announced on April 22, 2025, a plan to remove six synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply by the end of 2026. - The dyes in the phase-out plan are FD&C Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Green No. 3, Blue No. 1 and Blue No. 2. - The FDA also asked companies to remove Red No. 3 sooner than its original deadline and began revoking authorization for Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B.

The details: - Annatto comes from the seeds of the achiote tree, Bixa orellana. - Its pigments, bixin and norbixin, create the golden-orange color used in cheddar cheese, butter and many Latin American dishes. - Annatto is already listed by the FDA as an approved color additive, so home cooks and food makers do not need new approval to use it. - FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency was asking food companies to substitute petrochemical dyes with natural ingredients for American children as they already do in Europe and Canada. - The FDA also said it would speed up review of new natural colors including butterfly pea flower extract, gardenia blue and calcium phosphate. - Sunil Kumar, founder of Spicy Organic, said annatto has colored food naturally for centuries and that cooks do not need a lab to get a golden color. - Whole annatto seeds can be warmed in oil or lard to make achiote oil, which is used for rice, beans and braised meats. - Ground annatto can be mixed into rubs, marinades, soups and doughs. - The spice is part of the color and flavor profile of cochinita pibil, arroz con gandules and kare-kare. - Annatto adds a mild, earthy, slightly peppery note. - Spicy Organic sells USDA Certified Organic Annatto Seeds and Organic Annatto Ground. - Both products are certified under USDA Organic Certificate No. 0847519 through the Texas Department of Agriculture. - The products are non-GMO, vegan and kosher. - The products are available at SpicyOrganic.com. - Spicy Organic products are also stocked at seven H-E-B stores across Dallas-Fort Worth, including two in McKinney, plus Allen, Frisco, Prosper, Fort Worth and Irving. - The company also points readers to its guide, Annatto: The Natural Food Coloring Everyone's About to Discover, which covers flavor, substitution ratios and recipes.

Between the lines: - Spicy Organic is using the FDA’s phase-out to frame annatto as a simple clean-label option rather than a niche specialty ingredient. - The company’s message is aimed at both home cooks and food manufacturers who need a color source that is already familiar, approved and widely adaptable. - The FDA timeline gives natural color suppliers a marketing opening as reformulations accelerate.

What's next: - Food makers are expected to keep reformulating products ahead of the end-of-2026 deadline. - More shoppers are likely to compare ingredient labels as synthetic dyes disappear from more packaged foods. - Natural color ingredients such as annatto may get more shelf space and more attention as the market adjusts. - Home cooks can buy Spicy Organic’s annatto products online or at participating H-E-B stores.