How caramel color is made
Caramel color (E150a–d) is produced by heating carbohydrates — most commonly corn syrup, sucrose, or invert sugar — sometimes with ammonia or sulfites. The result is a dark brown coloring used in colas, soy sauce, baked goods, vinegars, and gravies.
U.S. vs Europe
In the United States, caramel color is almost exclusively made from corn syrup or sucrose — no wheat, no barley. The major manufacturers (DDW, Sethness, Felix Koch) confirm this on their websites.
In Europe and parts of Asia, caramel color can be made from wheat starch hydrolysate or barley malt syrup. EU rules require wheat/barley to appear in the allergen statement, but on imported products this can be missed.
Why even wheat-derived caramel color is generally safe
The high-temperature processing (Maillard reactions at 100–180°C, sometimes 200°C) and the chemical changes destroy gluten proteins. Independent testing of caramel-colored colas, malt beers, and dark sauces consistently finds gluten below 20 ppm — even when wheat or barley syrup was the starting material.
However: in cola-style sodas using barley-malt-derived caramel color, residual gluten has occasionally been detected slightly above 20 ppm. The safest practice: look for a GF certification on the finished product (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and most U.S. mainstream sodas are gluten free).
Common products containing caramel color
- Cola sodas (Coca-Cola, Pepsi) — GF in U.S.
- Root beer — usually GF; verify on the can
- Soy sauce — GF caramel color, but soy sauce itself contains wheat (use tamari)
- Worcestershire sauce — Lea & Perrins U.S. is GF
- Some BBQ sauces, marinades, gravies
- Some breads with darker crust
- Caramel Color and Gluten — Beyond Celiac (2024)
- Sources of Gluten — Celiac Disease Foundation (2024)