Allervibe
E150c
Ammonia caramel
The Class III caramel colour, made by heating sugars with ammonium compounds but no sulphite.
i Additive Details
| Is E150c Ammonia caramel safe?
Reacting sugars with ammonia forms 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), listed under California's Proposition 65 as a possible carcinogen, and 2-acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole (THI), which lowered lymphocyte counts in animal studies. EU specifications limit both substances in E150c. THI is the reason EFSA gave E150c a lower ADI than the other caramels, and EFSA noted that high consumers, including children, could exceed it.
| Uses
Provides the brown colour of beer and malt drinks, gravies and sauces, bakery products, breakfast cereals, confectionery and pet food. It is the caramel of choice in beer and in many bakery applications.
| Interactions
Unlike E150a, E150b and E150d it carries a positive charge. That makes it well suited to beer and bakery products but prone to haze or sediment alongside negatively charged tannins or gums, which is why acidic soft drinks use Class IV caramel instead.
| Origin
Made by heating food carbohydrates such as glucose syrup or sucrose with ammonium compounds — ammonium hydroxide, carbonate, phosphate or sulphate — without sulphite compounds.
| Daily Intake
EFSA's 2011 re-evaluation set a specific ADI of 100 mg per kg of body weight per day for E150c, within a group ADI of 300 mg/kg/day for the four caramel colours.
Information is sourced from public regulatory bodies (EFSA, FDA, WHO) and is for reference only. Always read the package and consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
Related additives
- E162 Beetroot red A red-violet pigment (betanin) obtained from red beetroot.
- E163 Anthocyanins Water-soluble red, purple and blue plant pigments used as a food colour.
- E141 Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins A green colour made by replacing the magnesium at the centre of plant chlorophyll with copper.
- E150a Plain caramel The Class I caramel colour, made by heating sugars without ammonia or sulphite reagents.
- E150b Caustic sulphite caramel The Class II caramel colour, made by heating sugars with sulphite compounds but no ammonia.
- E160c Paprika extract An orange-red colour extracted from the fruit of sweet paprika peppers.
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