What is Caramel Color?
Caramel Color is the world’s most widely used food color additive. It is used to impart color in numerous foods and beverages including colas, soy sauce, seasonings, breads, pet foods, cereals etc. Caramel Color is not a flavor but simply a coloring agent. When Caramel Color is used at the usual low concentrations required in most food coloring applications, it generally has no significant effect on the flavor profile of the finished product. Caramel Color, according to the Code of Federal Regulations (CRF 21 73.85)’ is the dark-brown liquid or solid resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of food grade carbohydrate. Certain food-grade acids, alkalis and salts may be employed to assist the caramelization of the carbohydrate. The resulting Caramel Colors are very safe additives, and are GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) according to 21 CFR 182.1235. Caramel Color’s most commonly used carbohydrate is High Dextrose Corn Syrup; however invert sugar and sucrose are also start
