What is Caramel Colour?

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:

	E150a Class I	E150b Class II	E150c Class III	E150d Class IV
Tone of the colour	Golden Brown	-	Greyish Brown	Greyish Brown
Sulphite compounds	No	Yes	No	Yes
Ammoniacal compounds	No	No	Yes	Yes
Caramelization promoters	Acids, alkalis and salts with the exception of ammonium compounds and sulphites	Sulphite	Ammonia	Ammonia & Sulphite
Ionic charge	Neutral to slightly Negative	Negative	Positive	Negative
Labeling	"Colour: Plain Caramel" or "E150a"	"Colour: Caustic Sulphite Caramel" or "E150b"	"Colour: Ammonia Caramel" or "E150c"	"Colour: Sulphite Ammonia Caramel" or "E150d"
Main applications	Brandies Bakery Confectionary Casing Pet Food	Vermouths Aromatic extracts	Beer Biscuits Sauces Pet Food	Soft drinks Vinegars Confectionary

Caramel Colour Strength

The comparison of five Caramel Colours is intended for general guidance only. Actual colour performance is dependent upon the physical and chemical characteristics of the system in which it is being used, as well as the concentration of the specific Caramel Colour in the final product. We encourage consultation with our technical staff to choose the perfect colour for your application.

This side-by-side comparison demonstrates the relative colour strength of five Caramel Colours. Colour strength is quantified by a measurement called Tinctorial Power*.

The higher the Tinctorial Power, the darker the Caramel Colour. These five products demonstrate a range of colour strengths, but there are dozens more Caramel Colours whose strengths are between those shown. For this comparison, each colour was diluted to a 0.2% solution in water (2.0 grams per litre). You can also see some of the differences in hue between these samples.

*Tinctorial Power, (TP) is defined as the absorbance of a 0.1% weight/volume solution measured through a 1 cm light path at a wavelength of 560 nanometres using a high quality spectrophotometer (2 nm or less bandpass).

Caramel Colour Hue Index

Hue Indexes* are a way of objectively measuring the "redness" of each Sethness-Roquette product. While the absolute values of each Hue Index are meaningful, the relative values are more relevant. The higher the Hue Indexes, the redder the Caramel Colour.

*The hue Index is a measure of the colour hue or red characteristics of a Caramel Colour. It is a function of the absorbance values measured at wavelengths of 510 and 610 manometers.

Hue Index: 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, the lower the Hue Index and the lower the red tones.

For Caramel Colours, the Hue Index is generally situated between, 3.5 and 7.5.

Typically:

A Hue Index below 4 corresponds to a brown tone
A Hue Index between 5 and 6 corresponds to a red tone
A Hue index above 6 corresponds to a yellow tone

Caramel Colour Properties

Origin and Description

Caramel Colour is the dark brown material resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of food-grade carbohydrates. In fact, for many years Caramel Colour was known as "Burnt Sugar colour."

Caramel Colour is not a flavour but simply a colouring agent. When Caramel Colour is used at the usual low concentrations required in most food colouring applications, it generally has no significant effect on the flavour profile of the finished product. For those special products with delicate flavour profiles, Sethness-Roquette has developed Caramel Colour with a bland taste even when used at higher concentrations.

Caramel Colour is defined and regulated as a food colour additive. The amount of Caramel Colour which can be used in food is limited only by good manufacturing practices.

Caramel Colour Classes:

Internationally the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has divided Caramel Colour into four classes according to the food-grade reagents used in its manufacture:

• E150a Class I is Plain Caramel
• E150b Class II is Caustic Sulphite Caramel
• E150c Class III is Ammonia Caramel E150d Class IV is Sulphite Ammonia Caramel

Tests on these classes of Caramel Colour have supported the safety of the product.

As a food additive, Caramel Colours have to be labelled as follows:

• "Colour: E150a" or "Colour: caramel E150a" or "Colour: plain caramel"
• "Colour: E150b" or "Colour: caramel E150b" or "Colour: caustic sulphite caramel"
• "Colour: E150c" or "Colour: caramel E150c" or "Colour: ammonia caramel"
• "Colour: E150d" or "Colour: caramel E150d" or "Colour: sulphite ammonia caramel"

Properties of Caramel Colour

Colour Strength and Hue:
The colour strength of Caramel Colour is defined as its Tinctorial Power. This is the absorbance of a 0.1% weight/volume solution measured through a 1cm 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.

The colour tone of the Caramel Colour is also important. This is defined by the Hue Index, which 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, the lower the Hue Index and the lower the red tones.

Specific Gravity:
The specific gravity of liquid Caramel Colours ranges from 1.25 — 1.38, corresponding to a range of about 1.244 — 1.376 kg/l. The corresponding dry substance content of the liquid Caramel Colour varies from approximately 40 to 83%.

pH Considerations:
The pH of Caramel Colour is important in some applications where it may influence the compatibility and functionality of the other components of the finished food or beverage by influencing the pH of the final product. However, Caramel Colour has good functionality across a broad pH range, from 2-10. Most Caramel Colour ranges in pH from 2.0 — 5.0.

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

Sulphite Considerations:
The majority of the Caramel Colour used today is anionic or negatively charged. This product is manufactured using sulphite reactants and contains some sulphite as detected by the method specified by the US Food and Drug Administration in its sulphite labelling regulations. While the amount of Caramel Colour typically used in foods and beverages is a very low percentage of the total ingredients, the sulphite contributed by the Caramel Colour must be taken into account when considering sulphite labelling for compliance. Because of sulphite regulations, there is sometimes a need for a low sulphite Caramel Colour. Positively charged Caramel Colour is manufactured without sulphite reactants and thus has a low sulphite content. A complete line of low sulphite, positively charged Caramel Colour has been developed to assist food processors in keeping the sulphite content of their formulated food products to a minimum.

Sulphites have to be labelled as allergens on the packaging when their concentration exceeds 10 ppm in the final product. Knowing the percentage of caramel in this product, one can calculate the corresponding sulphite concentration. Given the usual low addition of Caramel Colour in the final product, it is likely that the residual sulphite content will be lower than the regulatory 10 ppm level.

Caramel Colour In High-Alcohol or High-Salt Systems:
There are also specific products which require Caramel Colour which is stable in high-salt, high-alcohol concentrations. Caramel Colour with these properties is available for such applications.

Viscosity:
Since the viscosity of Caramel Colour can vary, it is important to understand that viscosity is not a reflection of the colour strength of the Caramel Colour. In fact, high Tinctorial Power, KO.56 double strength Caramel Colour is low in viscosity. Low-viscosity Caramel Colour is easier to handle, generally dissolves faster, and has greater stability and shelf life.

Microbiological Stability:
Caramel Colour has excellent microbiological stability. As Caramel Colour is manufactured under very high temperatures and pressure conditions, the resulting products is essentially commercially sterile. The microbiological stability of Caramel Colour is attributed to the high processing temperatures, high acidity, high osmotic pressure, and high specific gravity of the products. It will not support microbial growth in its undiluted form.

Other Considerations

Single Strength and Double Strength:
In recent years, beverage manufacturers have increased their use of double strength Caramel Colour. The terms "single strength" and "double strength" are general terms describing the relative colour strength of caramel and may cover different colour ranges. Double strength Caramel Colour was originally developed for use in slimming beverages as it reduces the caloric content contributed to the beverage by the Caramel Colour to about 25% of that contributed by a single strength colour. However, double strength Caramel Colour also offers greater cost efficiency, which has contributed to its rapid acceptance.

Acid-Proof Caramel Colour:
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. Virtually all of the Caramel Colour manufactured by Sethness-Roquette is "acid-proof", even that colour not specifically formulated for soft drinks.

Additional Functionalities of Caramel Colour:
Although its primary function is that of colouring, Caramel Colour contributes additional functionalities in various food systems. For example, in soft drinks the Caramel Colour's light protective quality can aid in preventing oxidation of the flavouring components in bottled beverages as well as functioning as an emulsifying agent and helping delay the formation of certain types of "floc".

Class I Caramel Colour
E150a
Plain Caramel Colour

"Plain caramel is prepared by the controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates (commercially available food-grade nutritive sweeteners that are the monomers glucose and fructose and/or polymers thereof, e.g., glucose syrups, sucrose, and/or invert syrups, and dextrose). To promote caramelization, acids, alkalis and salts may be employed, with the exception of ammonium compounds and sulphites."

Commission Directive 2008/128/EC laying down specific purity criteria concerning colours for use in Foodstuffs.

Class I Caramel Colours are mainly used in alcoholic drinks, such as whiskies, cognacs and spirits etc. They represent around 5% of the Caramel Colour market.

Class I Caramel Colours (E150a) are stable in alcohol up to 70% and in salty environment up to 20%.

Our E150a Class I Caramel Colours possess a hue index between 6.7 and 6.8, giving them a golden-brown tone:

Sethness-Roquette has developed two types of E150a Caramel Colours:

Class II Caramel Colour
E150b
Caustic Sulphite Caramel Colour

"Caustic sulphite caramel is prepared by the controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates (commercially available food-grade nutritive sweeteners that are the monomers glucose and fructose and/or polymers thereof, e.g. glucose syrups, sucrose, and/or invert syrups, and dextrose) with or without acids or alkalis, in the presence of sulphite compounds (sulphurous acid, potassium sulphite, potassium bisulphite, sodium sulphite and sodium bisulphite); no ammonium compounds are used."

Commission Directive 2008/128/EC laying down specific purity criteria concerning colours for use in Foodstuffs.

Class II (E150b) Caramel Colours are mainly used for special wines. They represent around 2% of the market.

Class III Caramel Colour
E150c
Ammonia Caramel Colour

"Ammonia caramel is prepared by the controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates (commercially available food grade nutritive sweeteners that are the monomers glucose and fructose and/or polymers thereof, e.g., glucose syrups, sucrose, and/or invert syrups, and dextrose) with or without acids or alkalis, in the presence of ammonium compounds (ammonium hydroxide, ammonium carbonate, ammonium hydrogen carbonate and ammonium phosphate); no sulphite compounds are used."
Commission Directive 2008/128/EC laying down specific purity criteria concerning colours for use in Foodstuffs.

Class III Caramel Colours (E150c) are mainly used for colouring beers, soups and sauces, pet food etc. They represent 25-27% of the Caramel Colours market.

E150c Caramel Colours are stable in alcohol up to 70% and in salty environment up to 20%.

Our E150c Class III Caramel Colours have a hue index between 5.1 and 5.5, giving them a greyish brown tone:



Sethness-Roquette has developed a full range of Caramel Colours E150c:

Class IV Caramel Colour
E150d
Sulphite Ammonia Caramel Colour

"Sulphite ammonia caramel is prepared by the controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates (commercially available food grade nutritive sweeteners that are the monomers glucose and fructose and/or polymers thereof, e.g., glucose syrups, sucrose, and/or invert syrups, and dextrose) with or without acids or alkalis in the presence of both sulphite and ammonium compounds (sulphurous acid, potassium sulphite, potassium bisulphite, sodium sulphite, sodium bisulphite, ammonium hydroxide, ammonium carbonate, ammonium hydrogen carbonate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium sulphate, ammonium sulphite, and ammonium hydrogen sulphite)."

Commission Directive 2008/128/EC laying down specific purity criteria concerning colours for use in Foodstuffs.

Class IV Caramel Colours (E150d) are mainly used for colouring sodas (colas, ice tea, ginger ale etc.). They represent 70 — 72% of the market.

E150d Caramel Colours are stable in alcohol up to 70% and in salty environment up to 20%.

Our E150d Class IV Caramel Colours have a hue index between 4.2 and 4.5, giving them a greyish brown tone:



Sethness-Roquette has developed a full range of Caramel Colours E150d in liquid form: