Caramel Colour Glossary

The term "acid proof" relates to the use of Caramel Colour in carbonated beverages. The term means the Caramel Colour is stable in a beverage concentrate where it is combined with phosphoric acid and must remain stable for several months. Many of the Caramel Colours manufactured by Sethness-Roquette are "acid proof", even those that may not be specifically formulated for soft drinks.

Allows determination of the alcohol concentration at which the Caramel Colour remains stable. This test is important to distilleries and alcoholic beverage manufacturers.

The determination of the ash content of Caramel defines that portion of the product present as non-carbonizable materials usually consisting of metallic salts. The ash content of Caramel helps identify the Caramel's raw materials and processing. Incineration of a previously evaporated test portion, at a temperature of 600°C until the carbonic residue has completely disappeared.

This test was developed to ensure the compatibility of certain Caramel Colours with beer. There are many grain proteins left in the final beer product, and ionic interactions with the Caramel Colours can lead to precipitation and or haze generation. Beer test results depend on the type of beer used for the test.

'Burnt Sugar' is a light to dark brown liquid or solid obtained from controlled heating of sugars and used primarily for flavouring and/or sweetening.

Caramel Colour is the dark brown material resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of food-grade carbohydrates. It is the world's most widely used food colour additive. Caramel Colours are divided into four different classes.

The European Brewing Convention (EBC) colour method was developed from a visual comparison of a sample material to that of a standard. At the present time, there is no single acceptable method for determining this colour with a spectrophotometer. There are at least four different wavelengths used to determine EBC values. This is similar to Caramel Colour methods which require wavelengths of 560 nm for Tinctorial Power, require a 610 nm wavelength for Colour Intensity and require a total dry solids basis for FCC colour.

Genetically Modified Organisms. We use carbohydrates originating exclusively from conventional crops. Consequently our Caramel Colours are GMO-free.

Demonstrate colour stability in concentrated phosphoric acid solutions. These tests are used to determine the acid resistance of the Caramel to precipitation and polymerization. This test was developed mainly for the soft drink industry.

Colour tone of the Caramel Colour. The Hue index is the measure of the colour hue or red characteristics of the Caramel Colour. It is a function of the absorbance at 510 and 610 nm. Generally, the higher the Tinctorial Power, KO.56, the lower the Hue Index and the lower the red tones.

The insoluble content of Caramel Colour is an indication of its processing, filtered or unfiltered, and its quality if it is a filtered product. The insoluble content may be of concern in products where clarity and/or sediment is an important factor.

Caramel Colour molecules carry ionic (electrochemical) charges which may be either positive or negative-neutral depending upon the processing conditions of a particular product. Most of the Caramel Colour used today is negatively charged. However, there are specific applications where positively charged Caramel Colour is required, particularly in applications where it comes into contact with proteins as in beer and meat products. Often colour precipitation, flocculation, or migration problems can be eliminated with the use of an appropriate Caramel Colour.

The net ionic charge can be changed by the addition of acid, or base, to a point where the net charge is neutral. The pH at this point is called the Isoelectric, or isoionic point. At the Isoelectric pH, a mixture of dilute caramel and gelatine, a soluble polypeptide, reacts to form a haze or tiny insoluble particles. The haze can be measured by absorbance using a spectrophotometer, or observed visually.

This method depends on the interaction of a dilute solution of gelatine and caramel around the Isoelectric Point. Turbidity, however, is measured by absorbance with a spectrophotometer at 640 nm. The pH where the absorbance is the maximum is defined as the Isoelectric Point.

This test determines the compatibility of Caramel Colour molecules with the negatively charged tannin radicals in solution. It relates to the compatibility of the Caramel Colour with the naturally occurring tannins in various flavour extracts. This test can also be used to determine whether a Caramel Colour is negative or positive in colloidal charge. Positive Caramel Colours precipitate in this test. It is possible that some negative Caramel Colours will also fail this test.

Negative log of the hydrogen ion concentration.

Accelerated stability test. The Caramel Colour is sealed in an airtight ampoule and heated at 100°C. The time in hours is measured until the material no longer flows. One hour represents approximately one month under normal storage conditions. The real importance of this test is to ensure the material being tested is the same as previous batches.

Colour strength of Caramel Colour. This is the absorbance of a 0.1% weight/volume solution measured through a 1 cm light path at a wavelength of 560 nanometres (nm) using a high quality spectrophotometer. The higher the value of the absorbance, the tinctorial power, the darker the Caramel Colour. A Caramel Colour with a TP of 0.400 is twice as strong as a Caramel Colour of 0.200, and you would only use half as much material to generate the same final colour.

Caramel Colour is manufactured by heating food-grade carbohydrate materials in combination with food grade acids, alkalis and/or salts. During the process, organic acids are produced as the result of the degradation of the carbohydrate components. The acidity of the Caramel Colour is an estimate of the organic acid content resulting from carbohydrate degradation and any residual acids from the process formula.

Titratable Acidity is a measure of the amount of base required to adjust the pH of a Caramel Colour to a defined pH value and is calculated as hydrochloric acid or citric acid.

Viscosity is a measure of the internal friction of a liquid to resist flow resulting from the combined effects of cohesion and adhesion. The viscosity of Caramel Colour is an important physical characteristic indicative of the manufacturing process as well as the type and age of the product. Viscosity of Caramel Colour can be also greatly influenced by temperature.

This method employs a Brookfield Viscometer. This is of the rotational variety. It measures the torque required to rotate an immersed cylindrical spindle in a fluid.