Annatto allergy symptoms can be experienced when a hypersensitive person comes in contact with this natural food coloring substance.
This orange-red colored dye is derived from seeds of lipstick or achiote tree. It is known to treat various health ailments including bacterial infection, reducing blood pressure and removing free radicals.
Natural dyes extracted from lipstick tree have been used in cheese, popcorn, cakes and cosmetics.
When a sensitive person ingest or comes in contact with food or products that include annatto, adverse reaction between immune system and proteins in the dye stimulate different allergic signs. Antibodies are triggered by immune system to detect and eliminate these foreign substances.
Depending on the person’s immune system, the reaction may range from mild to severe symptoms. Below you can check different allergic signs of ingesting annatto.
Annatto Allergy Symptoms
There are few cases where patients experienced anaphylaxis situation. Allergic reaction may trigger as soon as you ingest annatto ingredient food or in some cases it take few weeks.
- Itchy and inflamed skin
- Hives
- Tingling sensation around mouth
- Persistence coughing
- Nasal congestion
- Headaches
- Sinus pain
- Muscular pain and general fatigue
- Watery and inflamed eyes
- Swelling of lips, tongue and throat
- Asthma
- Numbness
- Behavior changes
- Flushing face
- Eczema
- Facial redness and swelling
- Low blood pressure
- Disturbed sleep
When you see any of the mild, moderate or severe signs of allergy, rush to allergist or physician for diagnosis.
Symptoms of all food allergies are identical. So, it’s tough for you a person to determine the allergen. Allergist will conduct skin prick test to identify IgE antibodies and then confirm the allergic food ingredient.
Though annatto doesn’t come under tree nuts, there are cases where people with tree nut allergy developed allergic symptoms when exposed to this food dye. Due to cross-reactivity people who aren’t allergic to few nuts may experience allergic reaction.
Because there is very little research done on annatto allergy, there is no perfect answer for why the allergy triggers when you’re not sensitive to it.
To treat food allergy, you must avoid food that include the allergens. Most food product mentions annatto in their ingredient’s list. However, it’s best to ask your doctor about the possible foods that can trigger annatto allergy.
