Rind Colorings: Caramel

Caramel color is a dark brown food coloring made by heating sugars, typically glucose or sucrose, with or without acids, alkalis, or sulfites. This process, called caramelization, creates a range of colors from light yellow to dark brown. It is one of the most widely used food colorings globally.

Caramel color is used to add or restore color to foods, often to give a brown hue to products like baked goods, beverages, and sauces. It is also used to enhance the visual appeal of processed foods such as cheeses, gravies, and confectionery.

Caramel color is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA for use in food. The FDA has evaluated its safety for use as a food additive. International bodies like JECFA have also evaluated caramel color. Some types of caramel color, specifically Class III and Class IV, can contain small amounts of 4-MEI, a byproduct that has raised some concerns, though regulatory bodies have determined it to be safe at typical consumption levels.