Caramel Color And Natural Flavors

Caramel color is a food coloring made by heating sugars, often with acids, bases, or salts. Natural flavors are complex mixtures derived from plant or animal sources, used to impart specific tastes. The exact ingredients and processes for natural flavors are proprietary.

Caramel color provides a brown hue to foods like baked goods, beverages, and sauces. Natural flavors are added to enhance or create specific taste profiles in a wide variety of processed foods, from snacks and meats to dairy products and confectionery.

Caramel color is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA. Some types of caramel color produced with ammonia or sulfites can contain small amounts of 4-MEI, a chemical that has raised health concerns in animal studies at high doses. JECFA and EFSA have evaluated caramel colors and established acceptable limits for certain compounds. Natural flavors are also generally considered safe by the FDA when used as intended.