Nutrition Diet and Dyes: What dye does Coca-Cola use?

October 3, 2025 •

4 min read

Despite its iconic dark-brown appearance, Coca-Cola's natural color, without additives, is actually greenish-yellow. This signature hue is achieved through a specific food additive, leading many consumers to question, "What dye does Coca-Cola use?" and if it aligns with a healthy nutrition diet.

Quick Summary

Coca-Cola uses Class IV caramel coloring (E150d), a dark-brown liquid made from heated sugars with added sulfite and ammonia. Regulatory bodies like the FDA deem the coloring safe at current consumption levels, despite past controversy surrounding a byproduct called 4-MEI. The primary health concern with cola remains its high sugar content, not the dye.

Key Points

Caramel Coloring: Coca-Cola uses Class IV caramel coloring, also known as Sulphite Ammonia Caramel or E150d, to achieve its dark-brown hue.
Not a Synthetic Dye: Unlike dyes like Red 40, caramel coloring is an additive produced by heating sugars with added compounds.
4-MEI Byproduct: The manufacturing process for Class IV caramel can create a chemical byproduct called 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), a controversial substance.
Reformulated for Safety: Following health concerns and regulations, soda makers voluntarily lowered 4-MEI levels in their products.
Regulator-Approved: Regulatory bodies like the FDA and EFSA have deemed caramel coloring safe for consumption at typical intake levels.
Nutrition Focus: The main health concern with cola is its high sugar content and empty calories, not the dye.

Understanding Caramel Coloring in Coca-Cola

To get to the heart of the question, "What dye does Coca-Cola use?", we need to talk about caramel coloring. The distinctive dark brown color of Coca-Cola comes from a food additive known as caramel coloring. However, unlike the simple caramel sauce you might make by heating sugar at home, the version used in mass-produced products is a manufactured food additive classified into four distinct classes. For colas, the industry standard is typically Class IV, also known as Sulphite Ammonia Caramel or E150d in Europe.

This specific class of caramel coloring is created by heating carbohydrates—like corn syrup or sugar—in the presence of both ammonium and sulfite compounds. This process is what creates the deep, dark brown color that consumers expect in their soda. It's crucial to understand that this is not a traditional artificial dye like Red 40 or Yellow 5, but a colorant made through a chemical process involving naturally occurring sugars.

The 4-MEI Controversy and Health Concerns

Over the past decade, a major health concern has been linked to Class III and IV caramel coloring. During the manufacturing process with ammonia and sulfites, a chemical byproduct called 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MEI, can be produced. This chemical drew significant attention after animal studies in 2007 by the U.S. National Toxicology Program found that high doses of 4-MEI caused an increase in certain lung tumors in mice. The state of California, in response to this, required products with elevated levels of 4-MEI to carry a cancer warning label.

In the wake of this regulation and the ensuing public relations challenge, soft-drink manufacturers took action. Brands like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo voluntarily changed their manufacturing processes to produce a caramel color with significantly lower levels of 4-MEI, starting with distribution in California and eventually implementing the change nationwide. While the companies have stated that their products were always safe and that consumers would have to drink thousands of cans a day to reach the levels used in animal studies, the reformulation was a direct response to consumer concern.

Caramel Coloring: Safe vs. Unhealthy

From a regulatory standpoint, major food safety bodies have repeatedly stated that caramel coloring is safe for consumption at the levels found in food and beverages. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and Health Canada have all approved its use. The key here lies in the amount and the overall context of a person's diet. For most people, the trace amounts of 4-MEI found in reformulated colas are not considered a health risk.

However, for those on a specific nutrition diet or who are sensitive to additives, there is a distinction. For example, people with sulfite sensitivity should be aware that Class IV caramel coloring contains sulfites. Ultimately, the more significant nutritional issue with consuming regular soft drinks is not the colorant, but the extremely high levels of added sugar. A 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar, contributing to risks for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay. For this reason, many nutrition experts advise reducing or eliminating soda consumption for overall health, regardless of the dye debate.

Comparing the Different Classes of Caramel Color

Caramel coloring is classified into four different types based on the ingredients used in its creation.


Feature	E150a (Class I) Plain Caramel	E150b (Class II) Caustic Sulfite Caramel	E150c (Class III) Ammonia Caramel	E150d (Class IV) Sulfite Ammonia Caramel
Reactants	No ammonium or sulfite compounds.	Sulfite compounds, no ammonium compounds.	Ammonium compounds, no sulfite compounds.	Both ammonium and sulfite compounds.
Charge	Neutral.	Negative.	Positive.	Strong Negative.
Typical Uses	Baked goods, confectionery, dairy.	Tea, brandy, whiskey.	Beer, soy sauce.	Soft drinks (colas), gravies, baked goods.
4-MEI Byproduct	No.	No.	Yes, may be present.	Yes, may be present.

Products Containing Caramel Coloring

Caramel coloring is a very common additive found in many processed foods and beverages beyond soda. Examples include:

Baked goods
Brown bread and buns
Sauces and dressings (soy sauce, Worcestershire, BBQ sauce)
Beer and spirits
Chocolate-flavored products
Soups

Conclusion: Evaluating the Dye in the Context of a Healthy Diet

So, what dye does Coca-Cola use? It uses Class IV caramel coloring, a specific food additive that provides its dark color. While controversy has existed regarding the 4-MEI byproduct, regulators and the beverage industry have taken steps to minimize its presence. The broader perspective on a healthy nutrition diet suggests that the primary health concern with soft drinks is their high sugar content, which contributes significantly to daily calorie intake with no nutritional value. For individuals seeking to manage their diet, focusing on reducing or eliminating sugary beverages is often a more impactful step than strictly avoiding foods based on the presence of caramel coloring.

For more information on food additives, consult the Center for Science in the Public Interest to review their chemical cuisine database.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary colorant used in Coca-Cola is Class IV caramel coloring, also labeled as E150d in Europe.

Caramel coloring is made from natural carbohydrates like sugar, but the manufacturing process involves heat and other compounds, so it is often considered semi-synthetic or processed rather than fully natural.

4-MEI (4-methylimidazole) is a chemical byproduct that can be formed when caramel coloring, specifically Class III and IV, is produced using ammonia compounds. It has been linked to cancer in high-dose animal studies.

Yes, following new regulations and public concern, major soda companies like Coca-Cola reformulated their caramel coloring to contain significantly lower levels of 4-MEI.

Yes, food safety authorities like the U.S. FDA and European EFSA have concluded that caramel coloring is safe at the levels typically consumed in foods and beverages.

The most significant health concern with drinking soda is its high sugar content, which contributes to obesity, diabetes, and other health problems, rather than the caramel coloring.

Caramel coloring adds virtually no nutritional value to soda, which is primarily composed of carbonated water, sugar, and flavorings. The dye's effect on nutrition is negligible compared to the caloric impact of the sugar.