Spicy Organic spotlights annatto during Hispanic Heritage Month

The McKinney, Texas spice brand is highlighting annatto, also known as achiote, as a culturally rooted natural colorant tied to Latin American cooking. The push comes as consumer demand for plant-based dyes rises and the FDA moves to phase out petroleum-derived synthetic food colors.

Why it matters: - Annatto is both a heritage ingredient and a commercial natural colorant, linking Latin American culinary tradition with a broader shift toward plant-based food dyes. - The spice is already widely used in packaged foods, from cheddar cheese to butter and cereals, but many North American consumers do not recognize it as a cooking ingredient with cultural roots. - Spicy Organic is using National Hispanic Heritage Month to frame annatto as an everyday ingredient with centuries of significance across Latin America and the Caribbean.

What happened: - Spicy Organic, a McKinney, Texas-based USDA Certified Organic spice brand, is spotlighting annatto during National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. - The company is emphasizing that 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. - The name traces back to the Nahuatl word used by the Aztecs before European contact. - Sunil Kumar, Spicy Organic founder, said the spice connects modern American kitchens to centuries of Latin American and Caribbean food tradition.

The details: - Annatto comes from the seeds of the Bixa orellana shrub, a plant native to Central and South America. - Indigenous communities have used the plant for thousands of years as a food colorant, fabric dye and culinary seasoning. - When heated in oil or liquid, annatto produces a warm golden hue from its red-orange pigment. - In Mexico, annatto defines cochinita pibil. - In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, annatto helps create the base color of sofrito and arroz con pollo. - In Colombia and Venezuela, annatto adds warmth to asado negro and empanada dough. - Demand for annatto as a natural food coloring has been growing steadily. - The global annatto market was valued at about $243 million in 2025 and is projected to grow around 6% annually through 2035. - The FDA's 2026 announcement to phase out petroleum-derived synthetic food dyes has accelerated interest in plant-based colorants. - Annatto is approved by both the FDA and the EU as E160b. - Spicy Organic sells USDA Certified Organic annatto in whole seed and ground powder forms. - The product is available at SpicyOrganic.com, Amazon, Walmart and seven H-E-B locations across Dallas-Fort Worth.

Between the lines: - The campaign positions annatto as more than a color additive and tries to reclaim its identity as a traditional ingredient. - The timing suggests Spicy Organic is aiming to benefit from both cultural observance and rising clean-label demand. - Annatto's visibility in industrial food products may make it a useful bridge for consumers who have already tasted it without knowing the name.

What's next: - Spicy Organic is likely to keep promoting annatto through the Hispanic Heritage Month window and through its retail channels. - Broader consumer attention to plant-based dyes may continue to lift interest in annatto as a stable natural alternative. - Spicy Organic will continue selling its USDA Certified Organic annatto alongside its broader line of more than 40 certified organic SKUs.

The bottom line: - Annatto is having a moment because it sits at the intersection of culture, color and cleaner-label food trends.