Caramel

Caramel is a rich brown colour and flavour produced by heating sugars, typically sucrose. The process, known as caramelisation, involves heating sugar until it melts and undergoes complex chemical changes, creating a range of aromatic compounds. Depending on the temperature and duration of heating, different shades and flavours of caramel can be achieved.

Caramel is widely used as a flavouring agent and colouring in a vast array of food products. Manufacturers add it to confectionery, baked goods, desserts, and beverages to impart its characteristic sweet, slightly bitter, and rich taste, as well as a desirable golden-brown to dark-brown hue. It is also used to add depth and complexity to savoury dishes.

Caramel is not typically considered a food additive requiring an E-number when used solely for flavouring or colouring purposes, as the caramelisation process occurs within the food itself. However, some forms of caramel colour (E150a-d) are authorised food additives in Great Britain. EFSA has evaluated caramel colours and established acceptable levels for their use. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential presence of 4-MEI (4-methylimidazole) in some caramel colours, which has been classified by IARC as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), though regulatory bodies like EFSA and the FSA consider current exposure levels from food to be safe.