E150a

Plain Caramel

Natural Brown Colouring from Heated Sugar

What is E150a (Plain Caramel)?

E150a, known as Plain Caramel or Caramel Colour Class I, is a natural brown food colouring made by heating sugar.

How it's made:

• Heat sugar (sucrose, glucose, or invert sugar) to 120-180°C
• Caramelization occurs – sugar molecules break down and recombine
• Brown colour forms along with characteristic caramel flavour
• Cool and concentrate to create liquid or powder caramel colour

E150a is the simplest and most natural of the four caramel colour classes (E150a-d). Unlike E150c and E150d, it's made without ammonia, which means no controversial compounds like 4-MEI are formed.

Why it's used:

• Natural brown colour – appealing appearance in foods and drinks
• Adds flavour – subtle caramel taste enhances products
• Cost-effective – cheap to produce from sugar
• Heat stable – doesn't break down during processing
• Water soluble – easy to use in liquid products

Where is E150a Found?

E150a is extremely common – it's the brown colour in many of your favourite foods and drinks:

Very Common (Almost Always E150a):

• Cola drinks – Coca-Cola, Pepsi (though some use E150d instead)
• Beer and stout – Guinness and other dark beers
• Whisky and brandy – adds depth of colour
• Gravy granules – instant gravy mixes
• Soy sauce – enhances dark brown colour
• Brown sauce – HP Sauce and similar condiments
• Malt vinegar – darker varieties
• Balsamic vinegar – some brands add caramel colour

Often Contains E150a:

• Chocolate cakes and desserts – enhances brown colour
• Custard powder – creates golden colour
• Ice cream and puddings – toffee, butterscotch, coffee flavours
• Biscuits and cookies – darker varieties
• Bread – darker breads and rolls
• Pickles and chutneys – brown varieties
• Instant coffee – enhances colour
• Breakfast cereals – malt or chocolate varieties

Alcoholic Drinks:

• Rum – adds colour to lighter rums
• Whisky – standardizes colour between batches
• Brandy and cognac – darkens appearance
• Dark beers and stouts – Guinness uses E150a

The Four Types of Caramel Colour

There are four classes of caramel colour (E150a-d), all made from heated sugar but with different processes:

E150a (Plain Caramel) – The Safest

• Made from sugar alone – no chemicals added
• Completely safe – no health concerns
• Used in beer, whisky, gravy

E150b (Caustic Sulphite Caramel)

• Made with sulphite compounds
• Generally safe, but sulphites can trigger asthma
• Used in brandy, vinegar, some sauces

E150c (Ammonia Caramel)

• Made with ammonia
• Can contain trace 4-MEI (a potential carcinogen in high doses)
• Used in beer, some sauces

E150d (Sulphite Ammonia Caramel) – Most Controversial

• Made with both ammonia and sulphites
• Contains 4-MEI (linked to cancer in animal studies at high doses)
• Used in cola drinks (Coca-Cola, Pepsi)
• California requires cancer warning if 4-MEI exceeds 29 micrograms/day

Key difference: E150a is pure caramelized sugar with no chemical additives, making it the safest of the four types.

Health Concerns and Side Effects

E150a has an excellent safety record with virtually no health concerns:

1. No Cancer Risk

Unlike E150c and E150d (which may contain 4-MEI), E150a contains no carcinogenic compounds:

• No 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) – only formed when ammonia is used (E150c/d)
• No animal studies showing cancer risk
• Decades of safe use with no cancer link

2. No Allergic Reactions

• E150a is just caramelized sugar – not a known allergen
• No reported allergic reactions
• Safe for people with food allergies (unless diabetic/sugar-sensitive)

3. Not a Concern for Most Health Conditions

• No asthma trigger (unlike E150b which contains sulphites)
• No hyperactivity link (unlike artificial dyes E102, E110, etc.)
• No digestive issues reported

4. Diabetics Should Be Aware

E150a is made from sugar, but the amount in foods is negligible:

• Cola drinks contain 0.1-0.5% caramel colour by weight
• The sugar content in cola (10g per 100ml) is a far bigger concern than E150a
• E150a itself has minimal impact on blood sugar

Regulatory Status

E150a is approved worldwide with no restrictions:

United Kingdom & European Union

• Approved for unlimited use in nearly all foods
• No Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) limit – considered so safe no restriction is needed
• Labelling: Must be listed as "E150a", "Plain Caramel", or "Caramel Colour"
• EFSA verdict: No safety concerns at any consumption level

United States

• Approved by the FDA as "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS)
• No usage restrictions
• Called "Caramel Color Class I" in the US

Australia, New Zealand, Canada

• Approved with no restrictions
• Considered completely safe

E150a vs. E150d (Cola Debate)

There's been controversy about caramel colour in cola drinks, but it's specifically about E150d, not E150a:

The E150d Concern:

• Coca-Cola and Pepsi use E150d (Sulphite Ammonia Caramel)
• E150d contains 4-MEI (4-methylimidazole), a potential carcinogen
• Animal studies showed 4-MEI might cause cancer at very high doses
• California Proposition 65 requires cancer warning if 4-MEI exceeds 29 micrograms/day
• Coca-Cola and Pepsi reformulated in the US to reduce 4-MEI levels

Why E150a is Different:

• No ammonia used in production → no 4-MEI formed
• No cancer concerns
• If you see "E150a" on a label, it's the safe version

Bottom line: The caramel colour controversy applies to E150c and E150d, not E150a. Plain caramel (E150a) is completely safe.

Is E150a Natural?

Yes, E150a is completely natural – as natural as home-cooked caramel.

What Makes It Natural:

• Made from sugar alone – no synthetic chemicals
• Process is simple heating – the same reaction that happens when you cook sugar at home
• No ammonia, no sulphites, no additives

Why It Has an E-Number:

Just because something has an E-number doesn't mean it's synthetic or unhealthy:

• E300 = Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) – essential nutrient
• E160a = Beta-carotene (from carrots) – vitamin A precursor
• E150a = Caramelized sugar – natural browning reaction

E-numbers are simply codes for additives, whether natural or synthetic. E150a is firmly in the "natural" category.

Making Caramel Colour at Home

You can make E150a yourself in your kitchen:

Simple Method:

1. Put 100g white sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan
2. Heat on medium-high heat without stirring
3. Sugar will melt, bubble, and turn golden → amber → dark brown
4. Once dark brown (but not burnt), remove from heat
5. Carefully add 100ml hot water (it will splatter!)
6. Stir until dissolved – you've made liquid caramel colour (E150a)

Use in:

• Homemade gravy (add a teaspoon for rich brown colour)
• Sauces and marinades
• Cakes and desserts
• Homemade cola (add caramel flavour and colour)

The Bottom Line

E150a (Plain Caramel) is one of the safest food additives you can consume.

Key takeaways:

• ✅ Completely natural – just heated sugar, no chemicals
• ✅ No health concerns – no cancer risk, no allergies, no side effects
• ✅ Used for centuries – caramel has been made for thousands of years
• ✅ No ADI limit – regulators say it's safe at any level
• ✅ Different from E150d – the controversial cola caramel (E150d contains 4-MEI, E150a doesn't)
• ✅ Found in beer, whisky, gravy, sauces – extremely common
• ✅ You can make it at home – same substance as home-cooked caramel
• ✅ Safe for everyone – children, pregnant women, elderly

Our recommendation: E150a is perfectly safe. Don't avoid products because they contain plain caramel – it's one of the most natural additives in food. If you're concerned about caramel colour, focus on avoiding E150d (in cola), not E150a.

Last updated: February 2026