Is E150a halal?

What is E150a?

Plain caramel is a brown colour made by carefully heating food-grade sugars such as glucose syrup, sucrose or invert sugar. Acids, alkalis or salts may be added to help the browning, but ammonium and sulphite compounds are not allowed for this class.

Why it's marked “Generally halal”

It is simply sugar browned by controlled heating, the simplest of the four caramel classes. No animal material or alcohol is involved, so it is generally treated as halal. The sugars usually come from maize, wheat, sugar beet or sugar cane, which are all plant sources.

How to check the label

No special check is needed. Note that caramel colour is not the same as caramel sweets or caramel sauce, which may contain butter, cream or other ingredients worth checking.

Where you'll find it

• sauces
• soups
• desserts
• baked goods
• soft drinks

Good to know

• In 2011 EFSA set a group acceptable daily intake of 300 mg per kg of body weight per day for all four caramel colours (E150a–d).
• It is also called caustic caramel. It is the only caramel class made without ammonium or sulphite compounds.

Similar additives

• E150c Ammonia caramel Generally halal
• E150d Sulphite ammonia caramel Generally halal
• E100 Curcumin Generally halal
• E102 Tartrazine Generally halal
• E110 Sunset Yellow FCF Generally halal
• E124 Ponceau 4R Generally halal

See all 89 E-numbers in the halal checker

This list describes where additives usually come from. It isn't a religious ruling, and manufacturers can change their sources. Last reviewed: 14 October 2026.

Sources

1. EFSA re-evaluation of caramel colours (E 150 a,b,c,d) (2011)

Frequently asked questions