McKinney, Texas brand highlights annatto — known as achiote — a natural food colorant rooted in centuries of Latin American cuisine.
MCKINNEY, TX, UNITED STATES, September 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — In Recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15)
Annatto and achiote are the same spice. Annatto is the English and food-industry name; achiote is the Spanish-derived term used across Latin America and the Caribbean, tracing back to the Nahuatl word used by the Aztecs for centuries before European contact. As National Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15, Spicy Organic — a McKinney, Texas-based USDA Certified Organic spice brand — is drawing attention to this culturally significant ingredient and its deep roots in Latin American culinary tradition.
Annatto comes from the seeds of the Bixa orellana shrub, a plant native to Central and South America used by indigenous communities for thousands of years — as a food colorant, a fabric dye, and a culinary seasoning. The brilliant red-orange pigment it contains produces a warm golden hue when heated in oil or liquid, which is why annatto has been a kitchen staple across the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and the Philippines for generations. In Mexico it defines cochinita pibil. In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic it forms the color base of sofrito and arroz con pollo. In Colombia and Venezuela it adds warmth to asado negro and empanada dough.
Despite its deep roots in Latin American food culture, annatto is largely invisible to most North American consumers — even as they consume it daily. The spice already colors cheddar cheese, butter, cereals, and countless packaged foods. What most consumers haven’t experienced is annatto used deliberately, as an ingredient in its own right, in cooking from the traditions where it originated.
“Annatto is one of those spices that tells a real cultural story,” said Sunil Kumar, Founder of Spicy Organic. “It connects modern American kitchens to centuries of Latin American and Caribbean food tradition through something as simple as the color in a dish. National Hispanic Heritage Month felt like the right moment to share that story and introduce people to an ingredient they’ve probably been eating their whole lives without knowing it.”
Demand for annatto as a natural food coloring has been growing steadily, with the global annatto market valued at approximately $243 million in 2025 and projected to grow at around 6 percent annually through 2035. The FDA’s 2026 announcement to phase out petroleum-derived synthetic food dyes has accelerated interest in plant-based colorants. Annatto — approved by both the FDA and the EU as E160b — is among the most technically stable natural alternatives available.
Spicy Organic carries USDA Certified Organic annatto in both whole seed and ground powder form, available at SpicyOrganic.com, Amazon, Walmart, and seven H-E-B locations across Dallas-Fort Worth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is annatto used for?
A: Annatto is used as a natural food coloring and mild flavoring in Latin American, Caribbean, and Filipino cooking. It colors annatto oil, spice pastes, and marinades. Industrially, it colors cheddar cheese, butter, and cereals. Its orange-red pigment produces a warm golden color without synthetic additives.
Q: Is achiote the same as annatto?
A: Yes. Achiote is the Spanish-derived term used across Latin America, tracing back to the Nahuatl word used by the Aztecs. Annatto is the English and food-industry standard. Both refer to the same Bixa orellana seeds — only the regional name differs.
Q: Is annatto a rare organic spice?
A: Annatto is one of the most widely used natural colorants globally, but remains largely unknown as a home cooking ingredient in North America. USDA Certified Organic annatto — free from synthetic pesticides — is available from Spicy Organic. As consumer interest in rare organic spices 2026 data describes as rapidly growing, annatto natural food coloring is among the most sought-after clean-label options.
Q: What is annatto’s connection to National Hispanic Heritage Month?
A: Annatto — known as achiote in Spanish-speaking countries — has been a cornerstone of Latin American and Caribbean cooking for thousands of years. It remains essential to cochinita pibil (Mexico), arroz con pollo (Puerto Rico), and asado negro (Colombia, Venezuela). Hispanic Heritage Month is a natural moment to recognize the cultural heritage embedded in this widely used but underappreciated ingredient.
About Spicy Organic
Spicy Organic is a family-owned USDA Certified Organic spice and herb brand based in McKinney, Texas. The brand offers more than 40 certified organic SKUs at SpicyOrganic.com, Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and seven H-E-B locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Packed fresh in McKinney, Texas. USDA Organic Certificate #0847519, Texas Department of Agriculture.
Media Contact
Sunil Kumar
Spicy Organic
Sunil.Kumar@spicyorganic.com
SpicyOrganic.com
McKinney, Texas
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Sunil Kumar
Spicy Organic LLC
+1 866-256-6772
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