Sulphite Ammonia Caramel
What it does
Brown colour (colas).
How it's made
Sugars heated with sulphite and ammonium compounds.
Sulphite ammonia caramel is the fourth caramel colour and the one most familiar from cola drinks, to which it gives their characteristic deep brown. It is made using both ammonium and sulphite compounds, which together produce a strongly coloured, acid-stable caramel ideal for soft drinks.
It is produced by heating food carbohydrates in the presence of both ammonium and sulphite compounds under controlled conditions. The combination of reactants creates a caramel with a strong negative charge, which keeps it stable and evenly dispersed in acidic, carbonated drinks where other caramels might separate.
The finished caramel is standardised for colour strength and supplied mainly as a liquid. Because the ammonia process can create trace by-products, food-grade sulphite ammonia caramel is made to controlled specifications that limit these, and its sulphite content means it may need to be considered by people sensitive to sulphites.
Possible reactions
Contains sulphites — may affect sulphite-sensitive people.