Food additive databaseAdds colorChecked 2026-09-27
Caramel color カラメル色素
Food additiveStricter rules abroadUsed in 10 products on this site
- Purpose
- adds brown color
- On the label
- “カラメル色素” (caramel color), “着色料（カラメル）” (coloring (caramel))
Flagged additives are marked when you use the Ingredient Checker (choose others).
In Japan
- Used in soy sauce, sauces, cola, confectionery, and so on.
- There are four types (I to IV) depending on how it is made, but the Japanese label is only “カラメル色素” (caramel color), so you cannot tell which one it is.
Under stricter rules abroad
Category: Stricter rules abroad
- In the EU, types I to IV are labeled separately as E150a to E150d.
- The US state of California has put 4-MEI, which forms when caramel III and IV are made, on its list of carcinogens (Prop 65), and requires a warning label on products that exceed a certain amount.
Substances labeled this way
Products on this site that contain it
| Product | As written on the label |
|---|---|
| 「Cook Do®」回鍋肉用 90g味の素 | カラメル色素 |
| 黄金の味 中辛エバラ食品 | カラメル色素 |
| ジャワカレー 中辛ハウス食品 | カラメル色素 |
| こくまろカレー 中辛ハウス食品 | カラメル色素 |
| バーモントカレー 中辛ハウス食品 | 着色料（カラメル、パプリカ色素） |
| 日清デカうま 油そば日清食品 | カラメル色素 |
| ゴールデンカレー 中辛エスビー食品 | カラメル色素 |
| コスモ直火焼 カレー・ルー 中辛コスモ食品 | カラメル色素 |
| コスモ直火焼 りんごカレー・ルー 甘口コスモ食品 | カラメル色素 |
| カレールー 中辛エム・トゥ・エム | カラメル色素 |
Product pages are in Japanese for now; each one reads every ingredient on the label.
Related pages
Sources
Last checked 2026-09-27. Rules change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
The categories are not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies.