Artificial colors

Is caramel color clean?

No. Our rubric flags caramel color under artificial colors (evidence: mixed). Class III and IV caramel color contain 4-MEI, a possible carcinogen listed under California Proposition 65; the label rarely says which class.

Artificial colors Mixed

Penalty 10 of 100 · Balanced and Strict profiles

Class III and IV caramel color contain 4-MEI, a possible carcinogen listed under California Proposition 65; the label rarely says which class.

Source: IARC Monographs volume 101 (2013): 4-methylimidazole, formed in class III and IV caramel color, possibly carcinogenic (Group 2B); California Proposition 65 lists it

Also on labels as

caramel colour, e150d

Low-FODMAP status

Coming soon: whether it is low-FODMAP and at what serving.

Related ingredients

Red 40
Yellow 5
Yellow 6
Blue 1
Blue 2
Green 3
Red 3
Citrus Red 2

From Gutlog's clean ingredient rubric, version 2026.11.0. Ask your assistant "is this clean?" with a photo of the label and Gutlog checks every ingredient. General information, not medical advice.