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How Can Caramel Food Coloring Impact My Health?

How Can Caramel Food Coloring Impact My Health? (0:41)

When people see caramel food coloring on a label, they may think that additive is natural - but it is actually a chemical, which can contain ammonia! Watch pediatrician Alan Greene, MD, discuss the danger of caramel coloring and what you should know.

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When people see food coloring, artificial food coloring on a label red number something or yellow number something, they think that it's a chemical but when they see caramel coloring, most people think it's a natural color, not necessarily. Under that label caramel coloring, there's a couple of different processes that are allowed and frequently used, often using a chemical such as ammonia, treated with sugar to create the color but those ingredients are possibly causing cancer and there's no good reason for them.

I wish they weren't in foods, but if they are in foods I believe they should be labelled, not as caramel coloring, but as for instance ammonia caramel coloring.