Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Annatto is a natural food coloring extracted from the seed coat of the tropical shrub Bixa orellana.
It contains carotenoid pigments that are widely used to color cheese, butter, and other dairy products.
Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze each statement to verify its accuracy:
- Statement (A): The primary oil-soluble carotenoid pigment in annatto seeds is bixin.
Upon alkaline hydrolysis, the methyl ester group of bixin is cleaved, converting it into the water-soluble dicarboxylic acid derivative called norbixin.
Therefore, the statement incorrectly claims that norbixin becomes bixin in alkaline extract.
Thus, Statement (A) is false.
- Statement (B): Annatto cheese color contains yellow and red shades.
In the acidic environment of cheese-making, the water-soluble norbixin precipitates and binds directly to the casein micelles, behaving as a protein dye.
This ensures the color is retained uniformly in the cheese curd instead of being lost in the whey.
Thus, Statement (B) is true.
- Statement (C): Bixin is chemically a monomethyl ester of a dicarboxylic acid (norbixin) and is lipophilic.
It is directly soluble in vegetable oils, making it suitable for coloring butter and margarine.
Thus, Statement (C) is true.
- Statement (D): To prepare water-soluble cheese color, the seed coat of Bixa orellana is extracted using aqueous alkaline solutions like sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH).
Thus, Statement (D) is true.
Since statements (B), (C), and (D) are correct, Option (C) is the correct choice.
Step 2: Final Answer:
The correct statements are (B), (C) and (D) only.