Caramel Colour (class not stated)
The short version
A brown food colour made by heating sugars. Labels that just say "caramel color" do not say which of the four classes (E150a–E150d) it is.
"Caramel color" on a label does not say which of the four kinds it is. Two of them (E150c and E150d) are made with ammonia compounds and can carry traces of 4-MEI, so we flag it amber until a label names the kind.
Safety profile
EFSA set a group acceptable daily intake of 300 mg per kg of body weight per day for all four classes together, with a lower limit of 100 mg/kg for E150c within it (EFSA, 2012). Classes made with ammonia compounds (E150c and E150d) can carry traces of 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), which is why we rate an unnamed caramel colour at the cautious end of the four.
Sources
- EFSA — Caramel colours: consumer exposure lower than previously estimated (19 December 2012) — European Food Safety Authority, 2012. Group ADI of 300 mg/kg bw/day for the four caramel colours, and 100 mg/kg bw/day for E150c within it
Checked against these sources on .
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