I was wondering about caramel coloring in some foods....example....roast beef from the deli....it is pure roast beef but lable says caramel coloring was added...I'm assuming to add color to the outer skin....my son has just been diagnosed with Celiacs and I've been trying to research everything I can about it. He is 27....he has eaten the roast beef and so far says it doesn't seem to bother him but I really wanted to get some opinions. He was bad when finally diagnosed...had to have a blood transfusion so needless to say I am being extra careful. Would appreciate any input you have on this subject. Thanks for your time and for this site....
Recent research on the amount of ingested gluten required to trigger the dangerous autoimmune response in people with celiac diseases suggests that, on average,
about 10mg can be consumed per day without provoking a reaction. Ten milligrams is not very much, it is ten one thousandths of 1 gram, and it takes 455 grams to make a pound.
Still, how much caramel coloring is there in a single serving of beef? Certainly less than a gram, a lot less. And how much gluten is there in less than a gram of caramel coloring? In most cases the correct answer would be none at all. In the USA caramel coloring is not usually made from wheat, it is made from corn or sugar. The legal definition of caramel coloring does *allow* it to be made from wheat or barley, but that is not the
usual practice.
Even if the caramel color used in a food is made from a wheat or barley source, let us consider the process by which it gets into your food. Before it is heated or treated chemically to turn it dark, the desired starches are separated from the source material. This process can be expected to remove or destroy most or probably all of the proteins. Even if there is some trace of offending protein left in the mash, it is likely to be broken down when the mixture is further treated. It is certain proteins in wheat, barley and rye that provoke trouble for celiac diseases sufferers. Without those proteins no reaction will occur.
Even if there is some protein that is not broken down, it is likely to be so diluted that, when we also consider how small an amount of caramel coloring is used in a given food or beverage, it is very, very unlikely
in my opinion that it will ever cause any difficulty. This opinion is based on over ten years of not avoiding caramel color and not being aware of having any trouble as a result. I'm not a doctor or a food scientist, I'm just a person with celiac disease.
Other intelligent people have opinions that are different than mine. Some people are far more sensitive than others.
If I were a beef eater, I would not worry about caramel color in my roast beef. I do not avoid foods or beverages made with caramel color.
