Wednesday – Caramel I, II, III or IV
Caramel Colour
Caramel I, II, III, IV or 150a, 150b, 150c, 150d
Caramel food colouring is one of the most widely used food colourings in the world. It is found in a vast majority of processed foods and beverages that are a brownish colour. It is also used as a flavouring agent due to its burnt sugar taste.
Caramel food colouring is made by heating or burning sugar (or various other carbohydrates) and mixing it with an acid or alkali (ammonium, sulfites).
WHAT IS IT?
Just like Annatto, Caramel is also a ‘natural’ additive because it is derived from natural sources such as sugar cane and carbohydrates.
If you have a food allergy, it is highly recommended staying away from caramel food colours because there is no real way of knowing exactly how this colour is made.
It can be made from a range of carbohydrates including corn (which could be genetically modified), sugar or molasses. It could contain wheat (gluten) but because they don’t need to list all the ingredients it takes to create ‘caramel’ there is no real way of knowing exactly what you’re eating.
WHY IS IT SO BAD?
Caramel Colour I or 150a
This one is plain caramel and is questionable when it comes to additives. It’s the safest of the four with the less potential side effects.
Caramel Colour II or 150b
This one is sulfite caramel and it’s recommended that asthmatics should avoid due to it being in the presence of sulfite compounds.
Caramel Colour III or 150c
This one is ammonia caramel and it’s also recommended that asthmatics should avoid. This type of caramel is mixed with ammonia or ammonium compounds which helps to reduce sugar, and studies have shown that by mixing these compounds it forms the by-product 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI). In fact, testing has confirmed measurable levels of 4-methylimidazole (4-Mel).
According to a petition on the Food and Drug Administration website (the American food association) in 2007, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) issued reports summarising the results of toxicological testing conducted on 4-MEI in rats and mice.
A 2-year study in rats was inconclusive regarding carcinogenicity, but a 2-year mouse study showed an increased incidence of certain lung tumors. These NTP studies were conducted in rodents at levels of 4-MEI that far exceed current estimates of human exposure to 4-MEI from the consumption of food with or without the addition of Class III or Class IV caramel coloring.
Further studies in rats associated changes in reproduction, fertility and development in rats offspring.
Caramel Colour IV or 150d
This caramel is sulfite ammonia caramel. It’s the worst one out of the lot because it’s the whole shabang! Basically mix all the caramels together and you’ve got IV (sort of). ALL the potential side effects from all the caramels can be found in caramel colour IV or 150d.
WHERE IS IT FOUND?
When it comes to caramel, it sometimes feels like ‘where isn’t it found’ which is another important reason to stick to real wholefoods as much as possible.
You’ll find it in:
- tomato/BBQ sauce
- soy sauce
- brown vinegar
- marinades
- beer and dark liquor
- bread
- cola and other soft drinks
- biscuits
- gravy
- ice-cream
- chocolate
- lollies
- ginger ale
- cereal
- potato chips
- plus many more
YOUR CHALLENGE TODAY
-
Look through your pantry, fridge and freezer and make a note of all the things that have caramel. Then when you go shopping for these products next time, buy a different brand without this additive. Lets not support companies that have no care for our health and wellness.
- Post a picture of what you find in the Facebook Group and help other challengers.
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(optional) Pick a recipe below, make your replacement and share your pictures with us in the Facebook Group.
A FEW CULPRITS
(dated July 2020 – remember ingredients change so you never know, these could change for the better one day, especially if we stop supporting companies that have no regards for our health, so always remember to read the ingredients.)
