日本語
Food additive databasecolorChecked 2026-10-02

CaramelⅢ (Ammonia caramel) カラメルⅢ

Existing food additivePermitted in the EU (E150c)EFSA ADI 100mg per kg body weight per day
Purpose
color
On the label
“カラメル色素” (caramel color), “着色料（カラメル）” (coloring (caramel))
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
カラメルⅢ (No. 65)
Source and production
Obtained by heat-treating edible carbohydrates such as starch hydrolysate, molasses, or sugars with an ammonium compound added (or with an acid or alkali added as well), without using sulfite compounds (definition in the specifications and standards).

In Japan

  • A brown coloring obtained by heat-treating starch hydrolysate, molasses, or sugars with an ammonium compound added. Its purposes in the list of existing food additives are coloring and manufacturing agent. Under the standard for use common to natural colorings, it cannot be used in kelp, meat, fresh fish and shellfish, tea, nori seaweed, beans, vegetables, or wakame seaweed.
  • In Japan, all four types are labeled either “カラメル色素” (caramel color; the purpose name can be omitted because the name contains the character for color (色)) or “着色料（カラメル）” (coloring (caramel)), so the label does not tell you which type is used.

Japan's standards for use

  • Standard for colorings (excluding chemically synthesized products): must not be used in kelp (kombu), meat, fresh fish and shellfish (including whale meat), tea, nori seaweed, beans, vegetables, or wakame seaweed.

This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.

In the EU

  • It is on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II) as E150c.
  • In its 2011 re-evaluation, EFSA set the group ADI for the four types of caramel colors at 300 mg per kg of body weight per day, of which E150c (caramel III) may account for up to 100 mg per kg of body weight per day.
  • In its 2011 evaluation, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) set an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 100mg per kg of body weight per day (EFSA ANS).

When it is labeled under a shared name

CaramelⅢ (Ammonia caramel) may be declared on the label in the same way as “カラメル色素”. See Caramel color for details.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.

This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.

Other substances used as color

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