With consumer demand for fair trade, sustainable and organic products growing fast, Frutarom Natural Solutions, a division of IFF, has received organic certification for its natural annatto colour. The ingredient was granted organic certifications from both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and The European Organic Certifiers Council. Annatto seeds and extracts have been used for more than a century in Europe and North America to provide a yellow to reddish colour to foods and beverages, thus becoming the second most economically important natural colorant worldwide.

To support the certification, Frutarom registered and trained more than 50 annatto seed farmers in the Quillabamba Valley in Cuzco, Peru and in Codo del Pozuzo in Puerto Inca, Peru. The division also meets all organic regulations while ensuring fair salaries to the growers. Frutarom says it maintains full traceability on the growing and harvesting processes to provide a pure, organic annatto colour.

“Organic colours are an integral part of the established clean label trend, meaning that the colours support our customers’ efforts to satisfy consumer needs,” saidYoni Glickman, President, Natural Product Solutions of IFF Frutarom “Organic certification has become the standard of the industry, especially as it involves all aspects of growing, harvesting, extracting, and maintaining full traceability of the ingredient, from seed to final product.”

Frutarom has carefully selected agricultural land free of prohibited chemical inputs for its Natural Solutions Products business. The farmers it works with use non-GMO seeds, and do not use synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, pesticides, or hormones. “It is all about caring and staying loyal to consumers’ expectations for better-for-you products that are also eco-friendly and help us to protect the environment,” said Ilanit Bar-Zeev, VP, Natural Product Solutions of IFF Frutarom.