Coloring: "Caramel Color" Unplugged

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Capn Jimbo
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Coloring: "Caramel Color" Unplugged

Post by Capn Jimbo »

"Caramel coloring" is not caramel...

Note: If you are smart you'll go to the last reply below for the quick and dirty summary. Anal retentives can start here.

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Most of us are aware or at least have heard of "caramel coloring". Many acquaint "caramel" with burnt sugar and rather assume that adding this substance will add a sweet "caramel" flavor and coloring. Nope.

Let's start here.

The use of trace caramel is perfectly legal in "rum" as defined in the US, UK and the ACS (Association of Caribbean States), although no other flavors or additives whatever are allowed. So what is "caramel" anyway?

Some of us assume it is simply a browned or burnt sugar (sucrose) which is then added to the rum to adjust color. The FDA defines caramel as "...the dark brown liquid or solid material resulting from the heat treatment of food grade carbohydrates: dextrose, invert sugar, malt syrup, molasses, starch hydrolysates (like fructose or glucose) or sucrose."

"Caramel" as defined is used in rum to adjust color from light yellow, to amber to a deep mahogany or brown. "Caramels" vary in hue and are often graded as to their red index. "Caramel" is considered inexpensive and relatively stable after (but not before) use.

"Caramel coloring" is very different than the taste of caramel candies (which are perceived as thick, buttery, syrupy and sweet). "Caramel" used for coloring is actually has an aroma of burnt (not sweet) sugar and a bitter taste. The idea that distillers use "extra" caramel to create a sweet taste is false (this is widely misunderstood).

Here's why...

There are actually four classes of caramel (plain, caustic or spirit caramel E150a (no ammonium/sulfite); caustic sulfite type E150b; ammonia, bakers or beer type E150c; and sulfite soft-drink type E150d). Baker's caramel is different than "spirit caramel" (which is most frequently made from corn or wheat).

According to the Huntly Centre (Australia):
"This (caramel coloring) is not caramel, the soft, chewy, caramel-flavoured sweet made by boiling together milk, sugar, butter, oil, syrup, vanilla essence, water and glucose syrup. Milk is a vital ingredient in Caramels, giving them a creamy texture. The colour and flavour of caramels, the sweet, are not due to caramelisation but to the Maillard-reaction, which occurs between an amino (ammonium-containing) acid and a reducing sugar. Flavoured caramels are increasingly popular. For example, vanilla caramel or rum butter caramel."
Some of you who have allergic reactions to rum (Sue Sea is one) should understand that "spirit caramel" may be the culprit. Surreptitiously added spices may be another. There are more surprises.

Despite common belief rums whose color is "adjusted" by spirit caramel is subject to fading, particularly in clear bottles and when exposed to sunlight. This is certainly a reason for distillers to use darker bottles, but marketing, not color preservation is the primary motivation.

In closing, it should be noted that the Germans and Danes - with the goal of purity - are lobbying the EU to eliminate the use of spirit caramel (E150) coloring as has already been done by distillers of bourbon in the United States.

In sum:

1. Caramel used for coloring is spirit caramel. Only trace amounts are needed.

2. It is less likely to be made from sugar (rather from corn, wheat and occasionally from molasses).

3. It smells burnt and tastes bitter. Only very small amounts are needed to color spirits. Enough spirit caramel coloring to be tasted would turn the rum very, very dark.

4. It may cause allergic reactions.

Thus we can assume that trace caramel is indeed used for color; as used is unlikely to alter aroma or taste. This should be distinguished from the mild toasting of oak aging barrels (legal) which will release natural caramel/sugars and vanillan in wood over much time.
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:13 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Capn Jimbo
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For the anal retentive and Arctic Wolf...

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Here's a few more facts about "caramel coloring":

1. Compared to the definition and regulations regarding "rum", those for "caramel coloring" are far, far more thorough and precise.

2. Caramel coloring is subject to stringent testing, far beyond rum itself.

3. The US definition and regs are contained in the US Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Sec. 7385; the monograph on caramel as in Food Chemicals Codex, Fourth Edition, the EEC Regulations on Coloring Matter, and the U.K. Specification for Caramel use in Foodstuffs.

For example here's the UK definition of purity for caramel coloring:
European Union (E.U.) Directive 95/45
Purity Criteria concerning Colors for use in Foodstuffs
26 July 1995

E150a PLAIN CARAMEL
Definition: Plain caramel is prepared by the controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates (commercially available food grade nutritive sweeteners which are the monomers glucose and fructose and/or polymers thereof, e.g., glucose syrups, sucrose, and/or invert syrups, and dextrose). To promote caramelization, acids, alkalis and salts may be employed, with the exception of ammonium compounds and sulphites.

Description: Dark brown to black liquids or solids

Purity
Color bound by DEAE cellulose Not more than 50%
Color bound by phosphoryl cellulose Not more than 50%
Color intensity (¹) 0,01-0,12
Total nitrogen Not more than 0,1%
Total sulphur Not more than 0,2%
Arsenic Not more than 1 mg/kg
Lead Not more than 2 mg/kg
Mercury Not more than 1 mg/kg
Cadmium Not more than 1 mg/kg
Heavy metals (as Pb) Not more than 25 mg/kg

(¹) Color intensity is defined as the absorbance of a 0,1% (w/v) solution of caramel color solids in water in a 1 cm cell at 610 nm.
Whew!

4. How is caramel color produced?

According to Standard of Identity for Caramel (CFR 21, 73.85), "caramel" is a dark brown liquid or solid made from a carbohydrate (glucose, invert sugar, malt syrup, molasses, sucrose and starch hydrolysates. Corn syrup of high dextrose equivalent is employed most frequently by the caramel color industry. Cane sugar is also used.

The carbohydrate is then treated with heat and a variety of acids, alkalis and salts that meet the Food Chemical Codex specifications. The process is generally a batch process of several thousand gallons in stainless steel "reactors" at temperatures exceeding 320 degrees and 70 psi.

Extensive laboratory testing must be conducted before, during and after the process and time/pressure/temperature records must be kept. These include tests for color, weight, percent solids, haze, pH, viscosity, gel, resinification, ash, trace metals, and on and on.

This is an expensive and exacting, highly controlled process.

Bottom line:

Production of legal caramel coloring is an endeavor in itself, and you can be sure that few, if any, distillers are prepared to set up such a large and expensive process that will produce far more coloring than they are likely to use in a timely fashion (caramel coloring goes bad).

Class 1 or spirit caramel (E150a) smells like badly burnt sugar, and has a taste that is quite bitter. According to caramel.com "Negatively charged caramels (and, sometimes, specifically formulated spirit caramel colors) work well in whiskeys, wines, rums and liqueurs."

Most of the color used is make from corn syrup (glucose). A limited amount of sucrose (sugar) based coloring does well in extremely high (120 to 150 proof) alcohol spirits.

In any case the caramel coloring tastes burnt and bitter; fortunately very little is need to achieve the desired color.

Capish?
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Capn Jimbo
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Earth to the Capn: bring it down a notch...

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Listen! You clicked on this. It's your problem now...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -> Note: This is the Quick 'n Dirty Summary

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Yes, yes I have a tendency to go all technical. It's one of the problems that arise from attending a research university. Let's try again. This is the idiot's version:

1. Caramel coloring is not the caramel you think of. Neither in aroma, taste, flavor or use.

2. The coloring is a burnt carbohydrate, processed at extremely high furnace heats with acids and other chemicals. Candy caramel is basicly a baked milk product with sugar and and vanilla.

3. The notion of carmelizing sugar in a pan is attractive but dead wrong. Pan carmelized sugars don't even change color or flavor until about 320 degrees is reached. That's hot.

At 334 degrees you can achieve a "brittle" candy (technically "extra hard crack"), with a very light color and no flavor change. From 356 to 370 degrees you will finally achieve a "light to medium caramel" with light to medium brown colors and a rich sweet flavor. These are regulated as "sucrose", not as "caramel" (coloring}.

4. For "caramel" coloring (dark caramel) you must approach 370 - 400 degrees. At this point the the sugar is very dark brown to black and is nearly completely burnt. There is absolutely no sweetness remaining and the dark caramel tastes burnt and bitter. Fortunately only tiny amounts (less than 0.01%) are required for coloring. A true caramel color is a highly regulated food product and must meet exacting standards and multiple tests (previous post).

Finally!

An explanation that even I can understand. Again - "caramel" in spirts is used solely for coloring. It is not your mother's caramel or carmelized sugar, it is not baker's light or medium brown sweet caramel, and is absolutely unrelated to "caramel candies". A bitter tasting and smelling product that just happens to do a great job of coloring foods, soft drinks, cosmestics, drugs and spirits using tiny quantities.


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Note: BTW it is fascinating to note that carmelization of sugar passes through various stages beginning at low heat: from small to large "thread", to small to large "ball", to light to hard to extra hard "crack", to light to medium to dark "caramel" and finally to "Black Jack" (completely carbonized and useless). Only dark caramel is considered "caramel" by the US/UK, and is intended solely as a harmless coloring agent.
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