caramel

Complex mixture of substances produced by heating sugars, without charring, until they turn brown. Caramel is used as colouring and flavouring in foods. Its production in the manufacture of sugar confection gives rise to a toffeelike sweet of the same name.

The intricate chemical reactions involved in the production of caramel (caramelization) are not fully understood, but are known to result in the formation of a number of compounds. Two compounds in particular (acetylformoin and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3-furanone) are thought to contribute to caramel's characteristic flavour.

Commercially, the caramelization process is speeded up by the addition of selected amino acids.