annatto extract
Annatto is a plant-derived colorant that tints food yellow-orange — the natural end of the coloring spectrum. How Bowlmark treats it.
Also appears on labels as: annatto · annatto (color) · e160b
What it is
Annatto extract is a yellow-orange colorant from the seeds of the achiote tree, listed as annatto or E160b. It is the pigment behind cheddar's orange, and in pet food it plays the same purely cosmetic role.
Why it's in pet food
Coloring food is always for the shopper — annatto simply does the job with a plant pigment instead of a synthetic azo dye. It sits at the benign end of the coloring spectrum, though no colorant does anything for the animal.
How Bowlmark scores it
Scores are deterministic math over the printed label — the rules below apply to every product identically, and nothing estimates or fills in a blank.
Annatto carries no deduction: the additive pillar's dye flag targets the six certified synthetic dyes, not plant-derived colorants. No colorant earns points either — color has no nutritional upside for the engine to reward.
Foods that list annatto extract
No food on the shelf lists annatto extract yet. Scan a bag that does and its label joins the catalog — versioned from the day it arrives.
Sources
Related ingredients
Further reading
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Annatto extract in pet food — what it is and how it scores." https://www.bowlmark.com/ingredient/annatto-extract
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- Methodology engine v1.1.0 · config 13c99e2f
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- Last verified August 9, 2026
No stored score to stamp yet — the engine and config above are the ones a scan runs today.