Caramel colouring
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The soft drink cola is usually colored dark brown by the addition of caramel coloring

Caramel coloring is caramel used as a food coloring; it is made by controlled heating of sugar, generally in the presence of acids or alkalis and possibly other compounds, a process called caramelization. Unlike caramel candy, it tends towards maximum oxidation of the sugar to produce a caramel concentrate that is unpalatable in its raw liquid form. Its color ranges from dark brown to black.

There are four types of caramel, differing in their method of manufacture and application, each with its own E number:

• Plain caramel, caustic caramel, or spirit caramel (Class I): E150a, contains sugar and sometimes acids, alkalis, and salts other than ammonium and sulfite compounds.
• Caustic sulfite caramel (Class II): E150b, may contain sulfite compounds.
• Ammonia caramel, baker's caramel, confectioner's caramel, or beer caramel (Class III): E150c, may contain ammonium compounds; used in beer, synthetic soy sauce, and confectionery.
• Sulfite ammonia caramel, acid-proof caramel, or soft-drink caramel (Class IV): E150d, may also contain both ammonium and sulfite compounds; used in acid environments such as soft drinks.

Uses

Caramel coloring is the most widely-used food coloring, and is found in almost every kind of industrially produced food, including: beer, brown bread, buns, chocolate, cookies, brandy, chocolate flavored flour-based confectionery, coatings, decorations, fillings and toppings, chips, dessert mixes, doughnuts, fish and shellfish spreads, frozen desserts, glucose tablets, cough drops, gravy browning, ice cream, jams, milk desserts, pancakes, pickles, sauces and dressings, soft drinks (especially colas), stouts, sweets, vinegar, whisky, and wines.

Production

Caramel coloring can be produced from any sugar, but most commonly it is made from a high-dextrose starch hydrolysate or corn syrup. Various acids are generally added to break the chemical bonds in the sugars. Regular caramel coloring is processed with ammonia and sulfur to intensify the color.

Color

The color of a caramel coloring can be specified using the Linner Hue Index for hue and tinctorial strength for the depth of color.

Physical properties

Caramel color is a colloid. It functions as an emulsifier in soft drinks.

Toxicology

The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) has concluded that commercially-produced caramel color has the same toxicological properties as caramel produced by cooking or heating sucrose, except for those prepared using ammonium (Class III and IV).

Despite widespread claims that caramel is toxic or carcinogenic, the IPCS has found no evidence of carcinogenicity or mutagenicity in its extensive studies.

The IPCS has set the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of Class I and II caramel colorings as "not limited"; that of Class III as 0-200 mg/kg body weight; and that of Class IV as 0-200 mg/kg.

The United States Food and Drug Administration classifies caramel coloring as generally recognized as safe.[1]

References

• European Commission Directive 95/45/EC (26 July 1995) on food color purity
• Food Additives World, a manufacturor of food colors and flavorings[2]
• International Programme on Chemical Safety INCHEM Database [3]
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration definition of Caramel, Code of Federal Regulations 21 CFR 73.85
• Caramel color is an additive mainly used in the food industry to add or intensify brown colors, [4]