Caramel color

About Caramel color

 
Name: Caramel color
 
Caramel color or caramel coloring is a soluble food coloring. It is made by a carefully controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates, generally in the presence of acids, alkalis, or salts, in a process called caramelization. It is more fully oxidized than caramel candy and has an odor of burnt sugar and a somewhat bitter taste. Its color ranges from pale yellow to amber to dark brown (see Color, below).
Caramel color is one of the oldest and most widely-used food colorings, and is found in almost every kind of industrially produced food, including: batters, beer, brown bread, buns, chocolate, cookies, cough drops, dark liquor such as brandy rum, beer and whisky, chocolate-flavored flour-based confectionery, coatings, custards, decorations, fillings and toppings, potato chips, dessert mixes, doughnuts, fish and shellfish spreads, frozen desserts, Fruit preserves, glucose tablets, gravy browning, ice cream, pickles, sauces and dressings, soft drinks (especially colas), sweets, vinegar, and wines.
Caramel color is made by the controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates (nutritive sweeteners which are the monomers glucose and fructose or their polymers, e.g. glucose syrups, sucrose, invert syrups, and dextrose, generally in the presence of food-grade acids, alkalis, and salts, in a process called caramelization. Antifoaming agents may be used as processing aids during its manufacture. Unlike caramel candy, it tends towards maximum oxidation of the sugar to produce a caramel concentrate that has an odor of burnt sugar and a somewhat bitter taste in its raw liquid form. Its color ranges from pale yellow to amber to dark brown.
Caramel color molecules carry either a positive or negative charge depending upon the reactants used in their manufacture. Problems such as precipitation, flocculation or migration can be eliminated with the use of a properly charged caramel color for the intended application.