May 13, 2025
Healthy Condiment Swaps
Discover condiment swaps made with real-food ingredients - and explore over 30 healthier options to upgrade your pantry with the Trash Panda app.
Caramel Color
Flavors + Colors
- Potentially Harmful
Definition
Caramel colors are a complex mixture of compounds produced by heating carbohydrates under controlled heat and chemical processing conditions. They are divided into four classes according to the manufacturing reactants used. Labels listing caramel color may include any of the 4 classes (10 types) of caramel color.
Health Impact
Some types of caramel artificial coloring contain a potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemical called 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI).
Sources
- Food caramels: a review
PMC US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health
- Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment
PLOS One
