Annatto

Synonyms: CI 75120

CAS Number: 1393-63-1

SERIOUS
health hazard

MODERATE
health hazard

FEW OR NO
health hazards

0 79

80 89

90 100

Sources of exposure:

Personal care

Food

Cheese, butter, snack foods, cosmetics, lip products, food colorings

Description:

Annatto is a natural colorant derived from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana). It is used in food, cosmetics, and personal care products to impart yellow to orange color. While naturally sourced, it may be processed into standardized extracts or pigments for consistent use.

Health concerns:

Irritant

May cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation.

Banned/restricted lists:

EU Cosmetics Regulation Annex IV - Permitted colorant

References

US National Library of Medicine. PubChem database.

HOW MILLION MARKER SCORES CHEMICALS

Million Marker's Ingredient Hazard Scoring uses multiple chemical databases and a science-backed scoring system to compute hazard scores for thousands of chemicals found in consumer products and listed on ingredient labels.

We identified key chemicals based on a database compiling dozens of authoritative sources, screening tools, and QSAR models.

Hazard scores within 11 different health categories (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, developmental toxicants, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, skin/eye/respiratory irritants, and ecotoxicity).

They are weighted based on several factors, including strength of evidence for adverse impacts in humans, severity, and potential contamination.