E150 caramel color

What is caramel color?

definition

According to the FDA, it is a dark brown liquid or solid material produced by carefully controlled heat processing of food-grade carbohydrates.

What is caramel color made of?

There are two types of raw materials used to create this color, carbohydrates and reactants.

1. Sources of carbohydrates

Food grade nutritional sweeteners such as glucose syrup, sucrose and/or invert syrup as monomers of glucose and fructose and/or their polymers, and glucose as a source of carbohydrates.

2. Reactants

Approved reactants such as acids, bases, salts, ammonium and sulfites are used to promote caramelization.

How to make caramel color?

All four types of this color are produced by careful control of food-grade carbohydrates with food-grade reactants or no heat treatment. This process is also called caramelization.

4 caramel colors

The FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) divides them into four categories according to the different reactants (catalysts) in the manufacturing process, referred to as Category I, Category II, Category III and Category IV. The corresponding E numbers are E150a and 150b. , 150c and 150d.

1. Class I: E150a

No ammonium or sulfite reactants. Also known as caramel color or pure caramel color.

2. Category II: E150b

Reactant with sulfite, but without ammonium. Also known as caustic sulfite caramel. Contains sulfite compounds (sulfurous acid, potassium sulfite, potassium bisulfite, sodium sulfite and sodium bisulfite); no ammonium compounds are used.

3. Category III: E150c

Reactive with ammonium but without sulfites. Also known as ammonia caramel. In the presence of ammonium compounds (ammonium hydroxide, ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium phosphate); no sulfite compounds are used.

4. Level 4: E150d

Reacts with sulfites and ammonia. Also known as sulfite caramel. In the presence of sulfites and ammonium compounds.

What is caramel color made of?

Because caramelization is a complex and poorly understood process that produces hundreds of chemical products, caramel color is a mixture with no specific ingredients.

Caramelization is the browning of sugar during cooking. During this process, carbohydrates are incompletely decomposed, dehydrated and polymerized at high temperatures, the extent of which is closely related to temperature and the type of carbohydrates.

For example, sucrose forms glucose and fructans at 160°C. The isotope decane (C ₁₂ H ₂₄ O ₁₀ )n is formed at 185 to 190°C and polymerizes at approximately 200°C to form caramel alkanes (C ₂₄ H ₃₆ O ₁₈ )n and caramel alkenes (C ₃₆ H ₅₀ O ₂₅ )n °C, caramel alkynes (C ₂₄ H ₃₆ O ₁₃ )n will be formed at 200°C or higher.

The final product after caramelization is a mixture of the various dehydrated polymers mentioned above.

characteristic

appearance

Dark brown to black liquid or solid with caramel odor.

color intensity

Color intensity or tinted powder is used to describe the color intensity of caramel color.

Tinting Power, K0.560: Defined as the absorbance of a 0.1% weight/volume solution measured at a wavelength of 560 nanometers using a high-quality spectrophotometer through a 1 cm optical path.

The higher the Tinctorial Power K0.560, the darker the caramel color.

Color Intensity: It is defined as the absorbance at 610 nm of a 0.1% (w/v) solution of caramel colored solid in water in a 1 cm cuvette.

Hue index

The hue index is a measure of the redness of caramel color. It is a function of absorbance measured at wavelengths of 510 and 610 nm. The higher the index, the redder the caramel color.

• Category I: Hue range from yellow to reddish brown
• Class II: Tone range from very yellow to dark reddish brown
• Class III: The hue ranges from light brown to dark reddish brown.
• Grade IV: light brown to dark black brown.

ionic charge

Caramel color has an ionic (electrochemical) colloidal charge that can be either positive, negative, or neutral depending on the manufacturing process. Most of the caramels consumed today are negatively charged. Typically, applications are related to ionic charges.

Solubility

• In water: dissolve in liquid or powder form.
• In oil: Dispersed in oil systems to form pastes or emulsions.

What is the purpose of caramel color?

This food colorant has been used in food and beverages for more than 150 years and is regulated globally as a color additive. Furthermore, we can find its use in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to impart colors from brown to red.

Food & Beverage

In general, the following foods may contain caramel color:

• bakery
• Beer and spirits
• drinks
• Alcohol
• Meat
• Sauces and Condiments
• candy

Let’s look at the common uses of its different types in food grade.

1. Class I (E150a), has a slight negative colloidal charge. It contains no 4-MeI or sulfites and is commonly used in breads, spirits, dairy products, beverages and confectionery.
2. Class II (E150b), has negative colloidal charge and does not contain 4-MeI. Commonly used in tea, whiskey and brandy.
3. Class III (E150c) has a positive colloidal charge and is used to color soy sauce and beer.
4. Class IV (E150d), has a strong negative charge over a wide pH range and is widely used in the soft drink industry.

The specific application is more complex, and usually several classes can be used in one field.

drinks

There are many considerations when choosing the right caramel color for beverage production, such as color, pH, vitamin C content, packaging material (to protect the colorant), etc.

Soft drinks/colas: Category IV

Soft drinks often have negatively charged molecules, so choose a negatively charged caramel color for soft drinks.

Class IV would be suitable as it is negatively charged and has a wide range of color intensities and hues - from reddish brown to almost black.

Beer: Level 3

The beer needs a caramel color with a strong positive ionic charge to avoid any reaction with the proteins. Type III has a positive ionic charge and is stable in beer and will not settle into the beverage over time.

cosmetic

According to the European Commission Database of Information on Substances and Ingredients in Cosmetics, caramel pigments are used as colorants and masking agents in cosmetics and personal care products.

pharmaceutical

Caramel can also be used to color medicines.

Is caramel coloring safe to eat?

Yes, its safety for use as a food additive has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and other authorities.

Food and Drug Administration

It is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used in accordance with good manufacturing practices.

European Food Safety Authority

Caramel coloring is a coloring substance authorized as a food additive by the European Union (EU) under Annex II and Annex III of Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008 on food additives and is classified as a "pigment"

2011 Safety Reassessment

After conducting studies on genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, etc., EFSA established a group ADI of 300 mg/kg body weight/day (per day) for four caramel colors (E 150a, E 150b, E 150c, E 150d). The individual ADI for E 150c (category III caramel) is 100 mg/kg body weight/day due to immunotoxicity of one of its components in 2011.

use

It is listed in Group II: Food colorings authorized under Quantum satis. The following foods may contain it:

• Dairy products and similar products
• Edible ice cubes
• fruits and vegetables
• candy
• Cereals and cereal products
• Baking supplies
• Meat
• Fish and fishery products
• Salt, spices, soups, sauces, salads and protein products
• Foods for specific nutritional purposes
• drinks
• Ready-to-eat appetizers and snacks
• dessert
• food supplements

Australia New Zealand Food Standards

Its approved ingredient designations in Australia and New Zealand are Caramel I, II, III and IV, with corresponding codes 150a/b/c/d. ( ¹⁰ )

Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives

Functional categories: food additives, pigments.

What are the possible side effects?

It’s common for consumers to sometimes question whether and what kind of caramel-colored ingredients are harmful to our health. The most likely health concern is that the caramel-colored 4-MEI may cause cancer.

Let's look at the details of 4-MEI and other possible side effects.

What is 4-MEI?

The full name of 4-methylimidazole, which is an impurity formed by the interaction of ammonia and reducing sugars, appears in the manufacture of Class III ammonia caramel and Class IV sulfite ammonia caramel.

4-MEI may also form when coffee beans are roasted and roasted.

Does caramel color cause cancer?

Since 2011, California Proposition 65 has listed 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI) as a possible carcinogen in caramel color, after exposure to 4-methylimidazole was found in a 2007 National Toxicology Program [NTP] study -MEI male and female mice develop lung cancer.

Food and Drug Administration

The FDA says there is no conclusive evidence that using caramel coloring in foods poses a danger from 4-MEI. To ensure the safety of caramel color when used in foods, the FDA is reviewing all available data and will take additional actions. ( ¹² )

Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives

JECFA stated that the toxicity of 4-MEI is no longer a concern because concentrations are limited in specifications and use of Class III and IV caramel colors at foreseeable levels results in exposure to 4-MEI . This is significantly lower than the levels found in 1986 to cause neurological effects in a range of animal species. ( ¹³ )

European Food Safety Authority

EFSA stated that the expected dietary exposure of children and adults to 4-MEI is not of concern and that the carcinogenic effects of 4-MEI observed in mice in the NTP study were threshold and can be considered a NOAEL (not observed). to adverse impact) levels) of these impacts in 2011.

Coca Cola

As Coca-Cola puts it, caramel color helps give Coca-Cola a unique look and taste in its soda products:

• Buck's
• Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
• Diet Coke
• Jinfeng Peach Tea
• Leather ClothXtra

It says: "The FDA says you would have to drink more than 1,000 cans of soda a day to match the amounts used in studies showing health concerns with 4-MEI."

Is it poisonous?

An updated 2017 safety study, published in Food Chem Toxicol in 2018, showed that no observable effects were identified in all categories in toxicokinetics, genotoxicity, subchronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, and reproductive/developmental toxicity studies. Adverse reaction level (NOAEL).

Other possible side effects may occur

• mild diarrhea
• Reduced weight gain associated with reduced food and fluid consumption
• Mesenteric lymph node pigmentation
• Cecum enlargement
• Decreased urine output associated with increased urine specific gravity
• Increased cecal and kidney weight

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Generally safe, it is best to consult a doctor.

allergy

At the request of buyers and end-users, rest assured that caramel coloring cannot be derived from common allergens such as starch hydrolysates (from wheat), maltose syrup (usually from barley) or lactose (from milk).

Manufacturers always provide buyers with an allergen-free list.

frequently asked questions

Is it natural or artificial?

Although this food coloring always claims to be natural because it is derived from ingredients that can be found in nature. But it is not simply called natural.

As we all know, caramel colors are made from edible nutritive sweeteners, heated under controlled conditions, and physically and chemically modified after processing. Therefore, it cannot be considered "natural" by the definition of the properties of a substance that exists in nature or is derived directly from a substance that exists in nature.

Furthermore, it is not "artificial" because they are not chemically synthesized.

But the FDA says it can name it artificial coloring. The FDA considers the term "natural" to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives, regardless of source) is contained or added to a food that would not normally be found in that food.

Are you a vegetarian?

Yes, as mentioned above, it is vegan as raw materials used and manufacturing process, no animal substances or products derived from animals are used. As a food ingredient, it is considered vegetarian and can be consumed by vegetarians.

Is it halal food?

Yes, it is halal and we can find several Chinese manufacturers with level I, III and IV that are certified halal by MUI.

Is it kosher?

Yes, it is kosher and we can find some suppliers that are pareve certified.

Is it gluten free?

Yes, it is gluten-free, or gluten-free, as listed by the FDA as not containing wheat, rye, barley, or hybrids of these grains.

Why use caramel coloring?

It enhances the attractiveness of food by imparting good color. If the food looks good, people can try it.

Is caramel color a flavor?

No, it's not a spice or flavoring, it's just a coloring agent. Most foods contain a small amount of caramel, which usually has no significant impact on the flavor of the final product.

Is caramel color sugar?

No, it is obtained after heat treatment of sugar.

Does caramel color contain corn?

It does not contain corn, but may come from corn.

Is there any dairy in the caramel color?

No, it does not contain milk or come from dairy products.

What is a caramel color substitute?

First, it depends on what color you need and the application. Then one or a mixture of natural or synthetic colors is preferred. For example, annatto, beta-carotene, grape skin extract, red 40, and yellow 5 can be used as substitutes and are also used in soft drinks.

Is there caramel color in the coffee?

Yes, caramel powder can be used in coffee. Since coffee has its own brown to dark color, caramel color is not used in some products.

Is there a red 40 in caramel color?

No.

Can caramel color be organic?

Yes, some manufacturers have organic products.

Is caramel color the same as caramel color?

The term "caramel" is often used to describe candies and spices made from caramel. Sometimes it refers to caramel color. The term "caramel color" describes only the color additive.

in conclusion

Now you may have a certain understanding of the color additive-caramel color (E150), from the following aspects:

• Manufacturing process
• Four types (E 150a, b, c and d) are classified according to the type of reactants used or not used.
• Differences in properties and uses of the four types.
• for food and beverages
• Safety
• The side effects are mainly focused on 4-MEI, an impurity produced in Class III and IV caramel colors.
• FAQ: Is it natural or artificial, vegan, gluten-free and 12 other frequently asked questions.