Carame Color

Caramel color is a food coloring made by heating sugars, often with acids, bases, or salts. It can range in color from light yellow to dark brown. Different manufacturing processes result in four distinct classes of caramel color.

Caramel color is used to give foods a brown hue, mimicking the color of cooked or roasted ingredients. It is found in a wide variety of products, including baked goods, beverages, sauces, and confectionery.

Caramel color is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA for use in food. Regulatory bodies like JECFA and EFSA have evaluated caramel colors. Some studies have raised questions about certain compounds that can be formed during the manufacturing of some classes of caramel color, but these are typically found at very low levels in the final product.