I just tried to update my article on the gluten free status of caramel coloring. The links are up-to-date, the facts are still accurate, but I am still frustrated with my conclusion that "Caramel food coloring is gluten except when it isn’t."

I’ll try to improve that less-than-helpful answer: You may find a gluten free product containing caramel coloring. All that means is that the manufacturer is asserting that they have a safe source of caramel food coloring. It does not mean that all caramel food coloring is appropriate for us. I found this statement in the footnotes of Celiac.com’s list of unsafe ingredients. It will help you ask the right questions when you are attempting to identify gluten free products: "If this ingredient (caramel coloring) is made in North America, it is likely to be gluten free. The problem with caramel coloring is it may or may not contain gluten depending on how it is manufactured."

I plan to publish "Ingredient Issues" articles every Friday for the next several weeks. Click here to read related articles. E-mail me if there are other ingredients that I should be researching.

Published 8/14/09