Per the FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, the color additive annatto extract is an extract prepared from annatto seed.

Annatto extract may be safely used for coloring drugs generally, including those intended for use in the area of the eye, in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice (GMP). NOTE: we are a GMP manufacturer.

Annatto is used in Q-Gel as a colorant cum opacifier – to prevent the photo-degradation of CoQ10. The other ingredient offering sufficient opacifying property is Titanium dioxide. Annatto Extract has been the colorant in QGel since 1996! Hundreds of millions of QGel softgels have been sold and consumed in the last 12 years with not a single complaint or report of an untoward adverse reaction. The amount of Annatto Seed Extract used in each soft gel is negligible and quite safe.

But, Isn’t Annatto Toxic?

Anything can be toxic at a high enough dose. The Annatto in Q-Gel softgels is present in milligram quantities (a VERY small amount). In foods one might ingest large quantities of Annatto and that might affect some people adversely. You may already be ingesting fairly large quantities of Annatto every time you sit down to eat as Annatto is used in several cheeses including Brie and Cheddar Cheese and can even be found in such common foods as margarine, rice and custard powder. It is often used in Latin American and Caribbean cooking as both a coloring and a flavor. In fact, Annatto is major ingredient in the popular spice blend "Sazón" made by Goya.

However, If you don’t want any Annatto in your bio-enhanced CoQ10 supplement we suggest using the H2Q CoQ10 capsules instead. H2Q™ is an advanced Bioavailability Water Miscible CoQ10 from the makers of Q-Gel® that uses pure Hydro-Q-Sorb® CoQ10 and contains NO Annatto Extract.