D.D. WILLIAMSON LAUNCHES

CERTIFIED ORGANIC ANNATTO EXTRACTS

IN NORTH AMERICA  

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, USA (April 20, 2009) - D.D. Williamson announces the arrival of North America's first Certified Organic Annatto Extracts for coloring. The hue of annatto, a natural food coloring, ranges from yellow to orange. Both water-soluble and oil-soluble versions are available,  Food processing customers using either of the new colorings can label "organic annatto extract" on ingredient declarations in the United States.

"Customers of our 'organic compliant' annatto products asked us to develop a range of 'certified organic' annatto so they could offer 100% certified organic food products," said Campbell Barnum, Global VP Marketing. "DDW's Science and Innovation Team responded with sourcing and extracting certified organic colorings to cover a broad range of organic food applications," added Barnum.  

Applications for water-soluble annatto include natural cheese, ice cream, snacks, breakfast cereal, and baked goods.  Oil-soluble annatto can apply in process cheese, margarine, spreads, vegetable oil, salad dressing, snacks, frosting and confectionery coating.

Annatto, a carotenoid, is extracted from the outer coat surrounding the seeds of Bixa orellana trees  - grown in South America, Central America, Caribbean, Central Africa, India, and Philippines,  Quality Assurance International (QAI), an agent for USDA's National Organic Program, certified D.D. Williamson's processing facility in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

For samples, please phone a DDW sales manager at 1-800-227-2635 or e-mail info@ddwmson.com

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Every day, more than 1.5 billion servings of food and beverages containing D.D. Williamson coloring are consumed around the world.  D.D. Williamson improves the allure of foods and beverages through visual appeal.  A trusted and recognized provider of color solutions for the food and beverage industry, the company operates ten manufacturing sites on five continents.  The world leader in caramel color offers a broad spectrum of natural coloring, including colorMaker custom blends.

D.D. WIlliamson Colors, LLC    100 S. Spring Street     Louisville, Kentucky 40206   USA  1-502-895-2438   Fax: 1-502-584-4489     www.ddwilliamson.com

Manufacturing:  Louisville, KY USA  Port Washington, WI USA   Co. Cork, Ireland    Manchester, U.K.   Shanghai, China    Matsapha, Swaziland   Manaus, Brazil