What are Caramel Colours?
Are Caramel Colours the same as caramels?
How are Caramel Colours made?
Are all Caramel Colours the same?
How do the different classes of Caramel Colours differ one from another?
Is it necessary to have more than one class of Caramel Colour?
Are Caramel Colours standardized?
How were the Caramel Colour specifications developed?
In the specifications for Caramel Colour, some parameters are expressed in terms of total solids and others on the basis of colour intensity. Why are both methods used?
What is the caloric value of Caramel Colour?
How should the caloric value of Caramel Colours be determined?

What are Caramel Colours?
Food additives used in the manufacture of many foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to impart colours ranging from brown to reddish hues.
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Are Caramel Colours the same as caramels?
The term "caramel" is often used to describe confections and flavours made from caramelized sugar. The term "caramel colour" only describes the colour additive.
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How are Caramel Colours made?
Caramel Colours are manufactured by the controlled heating of sugars or corn syrups in the presence of simple acids, alkalis, ammonia or sulphite salts. These substances, termed "reactants" act to promote the browning reaction in a process analogous to that which occurs when gravies are made or baked goods are browned.
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Are all Caramel Colours the same?
No. There are four classes of Caramel Colours that are designated as Classes a to d (European convention) or Classes I to IV (American convention).
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How do the different classes of Caramel Colours differ one from another?
The classes of Caramel Colours differ from each other primarily in terms of their functional properties. These functional properties are achieved by the use of specific reactants in the manufacture of each of the individual classes.
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Is it necessary to have more than one class of Caramel Colour?
Four classes of Caramel Colour are required in order to provide the particular functional properties required in the variety of foods and beverages that are coloured with this additive. For example, the class of Caramel Colour used in soft drinks is not compatible with beer, and the class used for beers is unsuitable for soft drinks. All the specific functional requirements of the market worldwide are provided by one or another of the four classes of Caramel Colours.
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Are Caramel Colours standardized?
Caramel Colours are standardized on a worldwide basis to meet specifications which have been established by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the World Health Organization, Geneva, and the Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome. Many national governments worldwide have established specifications for Caramel Colour. The US Food Chemicals Codex contains a specification covering all four classes of Caramel Colour.
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How were the Caramel Colour specifications developed?
Specifications for Caramel Colours were formulated on the basis of chemical characterization data for each of the classes of Caramel Colour. These data were provided through a cooperative international research program sponsored by the manufacturers and users of Caramel Colours.
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In the specifications for Caramel Colour, some parameters are expressed in terms of total solids and others on the basis of colour intensity. Why are both methods used? Are they both necessary?
In order to make Caramel Colour specifications relevant and limit variation in the different components, it is necessary to express some components in terms of total solids content and others in terms of colour intensity. Components with levels related strongly to colour intensity are expressed on that basis; those components that are not, are expressed on a total solids basis.
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What is the caloric value of Caramel Colour?
Although sugars are the main component in the manufacture of Caramel Colours, these additives generally have a low caloric value. This is so because in the manufacturing process the sugars polymerize with the reactants to form colour. The colour components are virtually unabsorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and are thus not biologically available. The low caloric value of Caramel Colours can be attributed to unreacted sugars that remain after manufacture. The level of these sugars is low in most Caramel Colours.
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How should the caloric value of Caramel Colours be determined?
The only meaningful method of determining the caloric value of Caramel Colours is by calculating the caloric value of the residual sugar content. Bomb calorimetry gives high caloric values for Caramel Colours that do not reflect biologically available calories, since the colour components, although not absorbed, are carbohydrate in nature. Animal feeding tests for caloric value designed to test major food components are not sufficiently sensitive to test food additives such as Caramel Colour.
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