Is Caramel vegan?
Caramel
Caramel is a brown food colourant and flavouring produced by controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates such as corn syrup, beet sugar, cane sugar, or wheat. The majority of commercial caramel is derived from corn and is considered vegan, but varieties derived from cane sugar may involve animal-derived processing aids.
Why unconfirmed?
Caramel can be either derived from animal, or non-animal sources. The ingredient name itself is identical either way, so the label alone can’t tell you which. Only a supplier declaration can.
| Also known as | Burnt sugar, Caramel colour, Caramel colouring |
|---|---|
| INCI name | Caramel |
| E number | E150 |
| INS number | 150 |
| CAS number | 8028-89-5 |
| EC number | 232-435-9 |
| CosIng ID | 32434 |
| Last verified | 16 April 2026 |
An ingredient is considered vegan if it contains no animal-derived components at any point in its production.
Selling a product with this ingredient? A supplier declaration can confirm the source. See how certification works.
Classifications are made to the best of our knowledge based on available scientific and regulatory sources. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of every entry, errors in the sources we draw from can always occur. This tool also cannot account for cross-contamination, which depends entirely on individual suppliers and producers. If you believe a classification is incorrect, you can report an issue.
