Ingredient Information

Function

Caramel is an approved food color additive and is used in many foods. There are four classes of caramel; class I alkaline caramel, class II alkali-sulfate caramel, class III ammonia caramel, and class IV sulfite ammonia caramel. The food additive caramel and the confectioner caramel, although they share the same name, are two different types of products.

Caramel color is one of the oldest and most widely used food colors. By definition, it is a dark brown liquid or solid resulting from the controlled heating of carbohydrates at controlled temperatures. It can be found in beverages, meats, desserts, chocolates, brandy, rum and sauces, just to name a few. It should be noted that when added to food, it is used for color only, it imparts no flavor.

Other Use and Industries

Caramel color is used in pet foods and cosmetics.

Health Effects

Caramel color comes in four grades, some of which use ammonium or sulfites in their production. There are generally residues found in any processed food or additive. Manufacturers are not required to indicate compounds used in processing. The benefits of caramel color as a food additive is that it is an inexpensive colorant and because it is so concentrated, it can be added to foods in very small amounts.

Caramel color has been singled out as a cancer agent because, when made using ammonia in the process, it contains a substance called 2 or 4-methylimidazole; however, studies regarding the health effects of 2 and 4-methylimidazole are not consistent. Caramel color got a lot of attention because the state of California put it on their list of carcinogens (when processed using ammonia). Based on their premise, in a lifetime, there would be 10 deaths in every 100,000 people who drank one can of soda containing caramel color every day. It may be noted that soda contains substantially more caramel color than would be found in most other food products - about 4 grams in each can.

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has set the acceptable daily intake (ADI) levels for caramel color additives. In addition, the FDA also regulates caramel color use in foods. There is debate on the safety of caramel color additives. Some claim it is safe and can easily be made in your kitchen to questions about the ammonia treatment of some of the classes of caramel. Recently, the Center for Science in the Public Interest went public, asking a large cola manufacture to remove caramel color from its products due to cancer concerns. The cola manufacture denied any issues and stated that “studies show that the caramel we use does not cause cancer."

Natural caramel color is regarded as safe while artificial caramel color is considered to be carcinogenic.

Origins

Caramel color is produced by the controlled heating of sugar, or mostly sugar syrups, in the presence of food-grade acids, alkalis and salts. The resulting color, ranging from yellow to dark brown, is the complete oxidation product of sugar. It has a bitter flavor and is not sweet. The four classes of caramel color each have a unique color and application in the food industry.