Ammonia caramel (E150c)- Food color additive

Ammonia caramel is a food color additive. It is a dark brown to black liquid or solid having an odor of burnt sugar. It is prepared by heating carbohydrates with or without acids or alkalis in the presence of ammonium compounds.

It is found in beer, brown bread, buns, chocolates, biscuits, brandy, chocolate flavoured flour based confectionery, coatings, decorations, fillings and toppings, crisps, dessert mixes, doughnuts, fish and shellfish spreads, frozen desserts, glucose tablets, gravy browning, ice cream, jams, milk desserts, pan cakes, pickles, sauces and dressings, soft drinks particularly cola drinks, stouts, sweets, vinegar, whisky and wines.

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Excess intake may lead to intestinal problems. It is also associated with reduced body weight gain associated with reduced food and fluid consumption, enlargement of the caecum, reduced urinary output associated with increase in specific gravity of the urine, diarrhoea and increase in kidney weight*.It induces lymphopenia and suppresses immunity in mice.

No concerns regarding reproductive or developmental toxicity, carcinogenicity, and mutagenicity**.

Joint FAO/WHO Experts Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) allocated an ADI of 0-200 mg/kg bw (0-150 mg/kg bw on solid basis). It is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in the United States (US). It can be consumed by all religious groups, vegans and vegetarians.

It is an approved food additive in the United States and the European Union (EU) countries. It is encoded as E150c by the European Union.

Other names of ammonia caramel are baker’s caramel, closed-pan ammonia process caramel, confectioner’s caramel, and beer caramel.

For the list of all additives, their uses and side effects go to www.caloricious.com

*Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of caramel colours (E 150 a, b, c, d) as food additives, EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Foods (ANS), EFSA journal, 9(3):2004, 2011

**Caramel colors, International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS)