Caramel Coloring
<p >Caramel coloring may be derived from a variety of source products that are themselves common <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergens" title="Allergens" class="mw-redirect" >allergens</a>, such as glucose (sometimes derived from wheat), starch hydrolysates (from wheat), malt syrup (in general derived from barley), or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactose" title="Lactose" >lactose</a> (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk" title="Milk" >milk</a>). As such, persons with known sensitivities or allergies to food products are advised to avoid foods including generic caramel coloring or first determine the source for the caramel coloring before consuming the food. North American and European manufacturers mostly use glucose derived from corn or wheat to produce caramel color, which is highly processed and is generally considered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten_free" title="Gluten free" class="mw-redirect" >gluten free</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_coloring#cite_note-8" >[9]</a></sup></p>
<p>
<b>Caramel color</b> or <b>caramel coloring</b> is a water soluble <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_coloring" title="Food coloring" >food coloring</a>. It is made by heat treatment of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate" title="Carbohydrate" >carbohydrates</a>, in general in the presence of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid" title="Acid" >acids</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkali" title="Alkali" >alkalis</a>, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)" title="Salt (chemistry)" >salts</a>, in a process called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization" title="Caramelization" >caramelization</a>. It is more fully <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidized" title="Oxidized" class="mw-redirect" >oxidized</a> than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel#Caramel_candy" title="Caramel" >caramel candy</a> and has an odor of burnt sugar and a somewhat bitter taste. Its color ranges from pale yellow to amber to dark <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown" title="Brown" >brown</a> (see Color, below).</p>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" ><tbody></tbody></table>
<p >Caramel color is one of the oldest and most widely-used food colorings, and is found in almost every kind of commercially produced food,</p>
<p>
including: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batter_(cooking)" title="Batter (cooking)" >batters</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer" title="Beer" >beer</a>, brown bread, buns, chocolate, cookies, cough drops, spirits and liquor such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandy" title="Brandy" >brandy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum" title="Rum" >rum</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisky" title="Whisky" >whisky</a>, chocolate-flavored flour-based confectionery, coatings, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custard" title="Custard" >custards</a>, decorations, fillings and toppings, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_chip" title="Potato chip" >potato chips</a>, dessert mixes, doughnuts, fish and shellfish spreads, frozen desserts, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_preserve" title="Fruit preserve" class="mw-redirect" >fruit preserves</a>, glucose tablets, gravy browning, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream" title="Ice cream" >ice cream</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_cucumber" title="Pickled cucumber" >pickles</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauce" title="Sauce" >sauces</a> and dressings, soft drinks (especially <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cola" title="Cola" >colas</a>), sweets, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar" title="Vinegar" >vinegar</a>, and more. Caramel color is widely approved for use in food globally but application and use level restrictions vary by country.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_coloring#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup></p>
<h2 ></h2>
<h2 >Production</h2>
<p >Caramel is manufactured by heating carbohydrates, either alone or in the presence of acids, alkalies, and/or salts. Caramel is produced from commercially available nutritive sweeteners consisting of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose" title="Fructose" >fructose</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextrose" title="Dextrose" class="mw-redirect" >dextrose</a> (glucose), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invert_sugar" title="Invert sugar" class="mw-redirect" >invert sugar</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucrose" title="Sucrose" >sucrose</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barley_malt_syrup" title="Barley malt syrup" >malt syrup</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molasses" title="Molasses" >molasses</a>, starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof. The acids that may be used are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfuric_acid" title="Sulfuric acid" >sulfuric</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfurous_acid" title="Sulfurous acid" >sulfurous</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphoric_acid" title="Phosphoric acid" >phosphoric</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid" title="Acetic acid" >acetic</a>, and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid" title="Citric acid" >citric acids</a>; the alkalies are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_hydroxide" title="Ammonium hydroxide" >ammonium</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hydroxide" title="Sodium hydroxide" >sodium</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_hydroxide" title="Potassium hydroxide" >potassium</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_hydroxide" title="Calcium hydroxide" >calcium hydroxides</a>; and the salts are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_carbonate" title="Ammonium carbonate" >ammonium</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_carbonate" title="Sodium carbonate" >sodium</a>, and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_carbonate" title="Potassium carbonate" >potassium carbonate</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicarbonate" title="Bicarbonate" >bicarbonate</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphate" title="Phosphate" >phosphate</a> (including mono- and dibasic), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfate" title="Sulfate" >sulfate</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisulfite" title="Bisulfite" >bisulfite</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antifoaming_agent" title="Antifoaming agent" class="mw-redirect" >Antifoaming agents</a>, such as polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, may be used as processing aids during manufacture.<sup id="cite_ref-FCC_1-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_coloring#cite_note-FCC-1" >[2]</a></sup> Its color ranges from pale-yellow to amber to dark-brown.
Caramel color molecules carry either a positive or a negative charge depending upon the reactants used in their manufacture. Problems such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_(chemistry)" title="Precipitation (chemistry)" >precipitation</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flocculation" title="Flocculation" >flocculation</a>, or<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedimentation" title="Sedimentation" >migration</a> can be eliminated with the use of a properly charged caramel color for the intended application.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
Food uses of sodium hydroxide include washing or chemical peeling of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruits" title="Fruits" class="mw-redirect" >fruits</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetables" title="Vegetables" class="mw-redirect" >vegetables</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate" title="Chocolate" >chocolate</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoa_mass" title="Cocoa mass" class="mw-redirect" >cocoa</a> processing, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_coloring" title="Caramel coloring" class="mw-redirect" >caramel coloring</a> production, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry" title="Poultry" >poultry</a> scalding, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_drink" title="Soft drink" >soft drink</a> processing, and thickening <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream" title="Ice cream" >ice cream</a>. </p>