The chemical that often gives food its brown color may actually reduce white blood cell counts in the bloodstream, according to new research.
A study published in the journal Toxicological Sciences found that caramel color, a food additive used in countless products, reduces the amount of immune lymphocytes in the blood of laboratory rodents.
To reach this conclusion, Dutch researchers fed mice a diet containing caramel additive color IIIa particular form of the coloring agentfor a month. Afterward, they measured their immune response to Trichinella spiralis, a protozoan responsible for the disease trichinosis.
Those fed the highest levels of caramel coloring experienced the largest dips in immune function.
Caramel coloring may be found in nearly any brown food or beverage, including chips, candy, sodas and beer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently lists it as exempt from certification, meaning it is derived from a natural source.
However, the agency adds that no food coloring can be proven to be free of health risks.