The history of caramel color, and food color additives in general, is fascinating! While caramel color has been used in the foods and beverages we have consumed for many generations, color additives have been used for millennia.
In ancient times, color additives were typically made from fruit, vegetable, and mineral sources. They were used to color foods, drugs, and cosmetics, as well as clothing, hair, and skin. These additives included paprika, turmeric, saffron, copper sulfate, and oxides (iron and lead). To cite some examples, the ancient Egyptians used saffron and safflower as food and textile dyes, perfumes, medicine, and ritual elements related to the cult of death. There is even evidence that wine was colored as early as 300 B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans added the seeds, stalks, and stems of the vine to wines, as well as flowers, herbs, and fruit juices, so not only the grapes were responsible for their color.
If we fast forward to the 19th century, we have the first recorded instance of caramel color being manufactured and used widely. It was originally created to add consistent color to beer for the brewing industry. But because it provided both good color and stability, it started being used for other foods and beverages. In the early 20th century, when sales of cola drinks were rising rapidly, caramel color was in use by beverage manufacturers of all sizes to impart the deep black-brown shade we all now associate with colas.
Today, caramel color helps provide consistent and quality brown shades to almost every segment of the food industry. In fact, it appears in approximately 1 in 20 food items you can find in your local supermarket! And it has enabled commercial food producers to offer products with predictable characteristics that consumers expect – such as consistent color through seasonal or climate changes – to add back in color due to processing conditions like high baking temperatures, add a consistent mouthfeel, and even aroma! Click here to learn more about the different types of caramel color that exist today and what they are used for.
