My diet:

E150b Sulfite caramel (Caustic sulfite caramel)

E150bColorsOrigin: Plant
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Every diet

VeganYes

The sugar base is plant carbohydrate. The sulfite is a processing chemical.

Gluten-freeYes

The usual base is sucrose, glucose or invert sugar, not a gluten grain.

HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoYes

The dose is a color, not a spoon of syrup.

Low-FODMAPYes
The short answer
Sulfite caramel (E150b) is sugar browned with sulfite and without ammonia. It is an allowed color. It is not the ammonia caramel used in many colas, and it is not a sulfite preservative.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberE150b
Comes fromPlant
What it doesColors
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledSulfite caramel, Caustic sulfite caramel

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDAApproved
🇪🇺 European UnionApproved
🇨🇦 Health CanadaApproved
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Sulfite caramel is an allowed color in the US, the EU (E150b) and Canada. It is the caramel class made with sulfite and without ammonia, so it is not the cola color associated with 4-methylimidazole. People who react to sulfites sometimes ask about residual sulfite in the color. The finished caramel is a color, not a sulfite preservative, and a food that still contains 10 ppm of sulfite from any source has to say so.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

The color is brown and bitter in concentration, and at a food dose it only tints. Spirits, ice cream and some sauces use class II when they want brown without the ammonia process.

Where it comes from: Class II caramel is sugar heated with sulfite compounds and no ammonia. The sulfite pushes the browning. Class I uses heat alone. Class III and class IV use ammonia, which is the route that forms 4-methylimidazole. Class II does not take that ammonia step.

Why it’s in food

  • Tints a spirit or a cordial brown
  • Colors ice cream and dessert mixes
  • Darkens a sauce
  • Avoids the ammonia step of cola caramel

Often found in

Some spiritsIce creamDessert mixesSaucesConfectioneryVinegar

Also listed as: Sulfite caramel, Caustic sulfite caramel, Class II caramel, Caramel II, E150b

Health & gut impact

No ammonia, so not the 4-MEI routeBenefit

4-Methylimidazole is tied to caramel classes made with ammonia. Class II is defined by sulfite and the absence of that ammonia step.

Codex class definitions for caramel colors

Residual sulfiteUnder study

The process uses sulfite. If a finished food still contains sulfite at or above 10 ppm, from this color or from anything else, the label has to declare sulfites.

Sulfite declaration threshold

What can I use instead?

Plain caramel

Ratio: Class I is browned sugar with no sulfite

Best for: A simple brown tint

Beet red

Ratio: You get pink, not brown

Best for: A plant color

Related

More colors:

Allura Red AC (Red 40) E129Red 40 (E129) is a petroleum-based dye. It's legal in the US and EU, but European packages must carry a warning about hyperactivity in children, and California is removing it from school food.Best to avoidAluminium E173Aluminium (E173) is a metallic silver-gray powder used on some European sugar decorations and sweets. It is used in tiny amounts, and it is not approved as a food color in the US.Use in moderationAmaranth dye E123Amaranth dye (E123) is a synthetic red that the US banned in 1976. Europe still allows tiny uses. It is not the amaranth seed sold as a gluten-free grain.Best to avoidAmmonia caramel (Caramel III) E150cAmmonia caramel (E150c) is the caramel class made with ammonia and no sulfite, common in beer. It is approved, but like cola caramel it can contain 4-MEI, which California lists under Proposition 65.Use in moderation

Common questions

Is E150b the caramel in cola?

Colas usually use class IV, the sulfite ammonia caramel. E150b is class II, sulfite without ammonia.

Does sulfite caramel count as a sulfite allergen?

Only if sulfite remains in the food at 10 ppm or more. The declaration rule is about that residue, whatever the source.

Is Sulfite caramel safe?

Use in moderation (74/100). Sulfite caramel is an allowed color in the US, the EU (E150b) and Canada. It is the caramel class made with sulfite and without ammonia, so it is not the cola color associated with 4-methylimidazole. People who react to sulfites sometimes ask about residual sulfite in the color. The finished caramel is a color, not a sulfite preservative, and a food that still contains 10 ppm of sulfite from any source has to say so.

Is Sulfite caramel vegan?

Yes. The sugar base is plant carbohydrate. The sulfite is a processing chemical.

Is Sulfite caramel gluten-free?

Yes. The usual base is sucrose, glucose or invert sugar, not a gluten grain.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • EFSA OpenFoodTox: E150b
  • Codex class definitions for caramel colors
  • Sulfite declaration threshold

INS 150b