<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

In <[log in to unmask]>, on 08/03/98
   at 11:06 AM, Bobbie Proctor <[log in to unmask]> said:

>>Kemp Randolph recently objected to an out-of-context quote
>>of a message on annatto, where I mentioned that it's possible mixing
>>with flour, and he questioned whether my statement was hearsay, or could
>>be verified.

Yes, indeed out of context, due to the summary, perhaps. But, we're
talking about two different ways that annatto might show up in a
commercial food product. I was thinking only of an item in the ingredient
list labelled "annatto" or "annatto extract";  Bobbie is referring to
either a product labelled annatto in some way (seed, powder, or paste) or
hidden annatto under the ingredient "spices". Coloring agent vs. spice,
perhaps.

I asked for:

>>Either a specific product, company, and contact info OR a cite from the
Code of Federal Regulations that  a label item "annatto" or "annatto
extract"  in food can be so treated.<<

(Hmm, upon rereading, "label ingredient" would have been clearer.)

 So I'm still waiting for evidence against my treatment of this ingredient
as safe for celiacs, absent allergic responses.

>>The CSA/USA Commercial Products Listing, 3rd Edition,
>>... It cites only 2 manufacturers that will say that their
>>annatto coloring is gluten-free: American Home Food Products, Inc.
>>(08/95) page 87
>>Land O'Lakes, Inc. (08/95) page81

This is not evidence of gluten use, of course, by the others.

I suspected from the specialized nature of the product that there would be
few suppliers. Further that industry practice might involve only a few of
the 10-20 solvents listed in the FCR. I'm not a chemist, but only 1 or 2
of these appeared to be grain based. What I did before (in the archives)
was go to suppliers of annatto specifically made according to the solvent
or perhaps water wash procedure required by the Code of Federal
Regulations for an ingredient so labelled. This recipe gives the food
manufacturers guidelines within which they can  produce the item in
question so that it can be so-labelled as an ingredient. I contacted only
two before after learning there aren't that many suppliers of this item.
Both were using a non-grain solvent. I'm in the midst of contacting others
now and will report back later. So far, all solvents are safe for celiacs
including those who care about the source of alcohol.

A useful source: there's now a Thomas Food Register, 3 thick volumes,
likely available in many libraries. that's very helpful for this and other
commercial food questions.

                                    Kemp Randolph
                                    Long Island

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