<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> sj zickel asked: >I know annatto is a vegetable coloring & listed as "suspect" ingredient >on certain lists. Can someone tell me why? How is it connected to >gluten? Annatto is a seed with no relation to the gluten grains. But "annatto coloring" is something else. In this case the word annatto is used as an adjective to describe the color. It could be from annatto seeds, and it could be from something else. This is something that has been around for many years: Excepts from Ener-G Food's "Detailed Ingredients Listing": Annatto Color Because ethyl alcohol and/or caramel color can be present in annatto color and is not declared, people with Celiac-Sprue should consider avoiding this ingredient. Caramel Color The problem with caramel color is it may or may not contain gluten depending on how it is manufactured. In the U.S.A. caramel color must conform with the FDA standard of identity from 21CFR CH.1. This statute says- The color additive caramel is the dark-brown liquid or solid material resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of the following food-grade carbohydrates: Dextrose (corn sugar) Invert sugar Lactose (milk sugar) Malt syrup (usually from barley malt) Molasses (from cane) Starch Hydrolysates and fractions thereof (can include wheat) Sucrose (cane or beet) (Also acids, alkalis and salts are listed which may be employed to assist caramelization)