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Ingredient register

Caramel Colour (Class III & IV)

Limit Carcinogen Food and drink E150c

Decode Label flags Caramel Colour (Class III & IV) as a moderate concern in food and drink (carcinogen). It appears in 20 of the 893 published products we have analysed (2.2%).

The concern

Ammonia-process caramel colour (INS 150c/150d) — can generate 4-MEI, an IARC Group 2B classification

Classes III and IV of caramel colour (INS 150c/150d) are made with ammonia, a process that can generate 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) as a by-product. IARC classifies 4-MEI as Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans, and California lists it under Proposition 65 with a warning threshold — though EFSA's own re-evaluation did not reach the same level of concern as IARC's classification. This label does not state the product's 4-MEI concentration, so exposure from this specific product cannot be determined from the ingredient list alone. It is the colour that makes colas and dark sauces brown. Classes I and II are made without ammonia and do not carry this concern.

Most relevant to

Anyone eating this regularly

Cited authority

IARC Monograph Vol. 101 (4-MEI); California Proposition 65; EFSA re-evaluation of caramel colours (2011)

How common it is in this catalogue

Measured across every product Decode Label has analysed — not estimated, and not taken from anyone else's dataset.

20 of 893 published products 2.2%

By category

Food 18
Beverages 2

Identity

E number
E150c

Also appears on labels as

Ammonia Caramel Sulphite Ammonia Caramel Sulfite Ammonia Caramel Caramel III Caramel IV Caramel Colour III Caramel Colour IV Caramel Color III

Questions

Is Caramel Colour (Class III & IV) safe?

The concern is cited to IARC Monograph Vol. 101 (4-MEI); California Proposition 65; EFSA re-evaluation of caramel colours (2011). Why it is flagged: Ammonia-process caramel colour (INS 150c/150d) — can generate 4-MEI, an IARC Group 2B classification. Decode Label treats it as a moderate concern in food and drink. It appears in 20 of the 893 published products we have analysed (2.2%).

How common is Caramel Colour (Class III & IV) in Indian packaged products?

Decode Label found Caramel Colour (Class III & IV) in 20 of 893 published products (2.2%), most often in Food, Beverages.

Who should be most careful with Caramel Colour (Class III & IV)?

Anyone eating this regularly.

Products containing Caramel Colour (Class III & IV)

20 published products, each with its own full analysis.

Bourn Vita Britannia Treat Croissant CRAX Masala Punch Potato Chips Chings Instant Soup - Hot & Sour Complan 100% Milk Protein Cremica Melto Vanilla Creme Premium Sandwich Biscuit Kellogg's Chocolate Muesli 12 In 1 Power Breakfast Kellogg's Chocos Kellogg's Crunchy Baked Granola Chocolate Cookie Cru... Kellogg's Millet Muesli With 84% Fruit, Seed & Multi... Kellogg's Multigrain Chocos Crunchy Bites Power of 5... Kellogg’s High Protein Muesli With Gut Friendly Preb... Knorr Hong Kong Manchow Soup with Real Vegetables Maggi 2 min noodles Masala Taste Muesli Fruit, Nut & Seeds MultiGrain+ Corn Flakes Power Breakfast Sunfeast Marie Light Too Yumm Dahi Papdi Chaat Multigrain Chips Too Yumm! K-Bomb Mi Goreng, 79g, Ready to cook Insta... knorr Hong Kong Manchow Soup

Related ingredients

Other entries in the register with the same kind of concern.

Erythrosine Potassium Bromate Sodium Nitrate Sodium Nitrite BHA Titanium Dioxide

Method and limits

  • Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 893 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
  • Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
  • A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
  • No regulatory rows. This substance is not matched in our regulatory warehouse, so the concern above rests on the cited authority alone.
  • Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 28 September 2026.
  • Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.