Caramel IV (Sulfite Ammonia)
The short version
A dark brown caramel color produced with sulfite and ammonia, used in colas and sauces.
The caramel colour in colas and sauces. Made with ammonia and sulphites, it can contain 4-MEI, a compound flagged as a possible carcinogen in animal studies. Levels are low and debated, but that's why we flag it.
Safety profile
JECFA's ADI for Class IV caramel is 0–200 mg/kg body weight (1985). In 2011 EFSA set a group ADI of 300 mg/kg body weight per day covering all four caramel colours (E 150a–d). The manufacturing process can yield trace 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), classified as 'possibly carcinogenic' (IARC 2B). California Proposition 65 requires a warning label above certain 4-MEI levels, prompting major beverage manufacturers to reformulate.
Sources
- EFSA — EFSA reviews safety of caramel colours (news on the 2011 re-evaluation of E 150a–d) — European Food Safety Authority, 2011. EFSA group ADI 300 mg/kg bw/day; EU specifications already cap 4-MEI in E150c/E150d
- WHO JECFA database — Caramel colour, Class IV (sulfite ammonia caramel, INS 150d): ADI 0–200 mg/kg bw — Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (WHO), 1985. JECFA ADI 0–200 mg/kg bw for Class IV
- IARC Monographs Volume 101 (2013) — 4-Methylimidazole — International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO), 2013. 4-MEI classified Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic
- US eCFR — 21 CFR 73.85 Caramel (color additive), current as of 13 Oct 2026 — US Food and Drug Administration / Office of the Federal Register, 2026. US permits caramel for foods generally; federal specs have no 4-MEI limit
Checked against these sources on .
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