ALLEGED  ADULTERATION  OF  ANNATTO. 
55 
has  a  very  disagreeable,  somewhat  putrescent  smell,  from  which 
Spanish  annatto  is  entirely  free,  the  smell  of  the  latter,  when 
fresh  and  good,  being  rather  agreeable  than  otherwise.  Bat 
while  Spanish  annatto  has  a  decided  advantage  over  flag  annatto 
in  regard  to  this  character,  it  is  nevertheless  inferior  to  flag  annat- 
to as  a  dyeing  or  coloring  agent. 
There  are  two  processes  described  as  those  adopted  in  the 
manufacture  of  annatto.  The  seeds  from  which  the  annatto  is 
obtained  are  red  on  the  outside,  but  perfectly  white  within. 
One  of  the  processes  consists  in  rubbing  and  washing  off  the 
coloring  matter  from  the  surfaces  of  the  seeds  with  water,  then 
allowing  the  coloring  matter  to  subside,  and  exposing  it  to  spon- 
taneous evaporation,  until  it  acquires  a  pasty  consistence.  The 
other  process  consists  in  bruising  the  seeds,  which  contain  albumi- 
nous and  farinaceous  matter,  as  well  as  the  coloring  principle, 
mixing  them  with  water,  and  then  leaving  the  mixture  to  fer- 
ment, during  which  operation  the  coloring  matter  collects  at 
the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  from  which  it  is  subsequently  removed, 
and  brought  to  the  proper  consistence  by  spontaneous  evapora- 
tion. It  is  probable  that  the  disagreeable  smell  of  flag  annatto 
arises  from  the  adoption  of  the  latter  process,  the  fermentation 
being  carried  to  the  putrefactive  stage.  It  is  possible,  also,  that 
the  superiority  of  the  coloring  matter  in  flag  annatto  may  be  due 
Co  the  influence  of  fermentation. 
In  applying  either  of  these  processes  in  the  countries  in  which 
annatto  is  made,  the  products  are  liable  to  great  variation  in 
quality,  no  two  samples  being  precisely  alike.  The  inspissation 
of  the  pasty  mass  is  said  to  be  effected  by  exposing  it  to  the  air 
in  shady  places ;  but  if  too  long  exposed  to  the  air  the  color  is 
injured  by  the  action  of  light,  and  if  not  sufficiently  inspissated, 
it  undergoes  injury  from  the  action  of  the  retained  water.  It  is 
obvious,  too,  that  in  carying  out  such  a  manufacture  in  the  rude 
way  in  which  it  is  likely  to  be  conducted  in  those  countries, 
there  would  be  constantly  varying  proportions  of  the  true  color, 
mg  matter,  and  of  starch,  woody  fibre,  and  other  worthless  con- 
stituents or  impurity,  contained  in  the  annatto.  Much  of  the 
annatto,  as  imported  into  this  country,  is  in  such  an  imperfectly 
inspissated  state,  that  it  cannot  be  kept  for  many  months  without 
