Is annatto high in nitrites?

Watch for

• Graded high on the salicylate axis and excluded on RPAH and failsafe elimination diets.Note that 160a, the beta-carotene colour, is generally allowed on those diets while 160b, annatto, is not, so the number on the label matters.
• The natural colour trap.Products marketed as containing no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives frequently use annatto to get their colour, so an artificial-dye-free label is not an annatto-free label.
• Reactions in the challenge literature came on around four hours after the dose, which is late enough that most people blame the next meal instead.If you are testing annatto, give the day a wide window in your log.
• Where it hides: orange cheddar and Red Leicester, processed cheese slices, butter and margarine, custard and ice cream, breakfast cereals, crackers and crisp seasonings, smoked fish, and some rice and stew dishes coloured with achiote.
• Rare IgE-mediated reactions to annatto, including anaphylaxis, have been described in case reports, which is a different mechanism from the delayed urticaria seen in the challenge studies.
• Nickel and the anti-inflammatory rating are both graded borderline, minor next to the salicylate and additive story.