Page 27 - Food&Drink Business magazine September 2022

interactions during cooking. That’s why the production of caramel, in many ways, is an art as much as a science.
Oterra has been specialising in caramel since 1968. During those 50-plus years, great strides have been taken in understanding the various molecules produced by burning sugar, and Oterra’s scientists have been able to use this knowledge to improve its caramel products.
In fact, Oterra is one of the world’s largest suppliers of the brown colour from caramelised sugar with one of the most extensive product lines
of the brown colour
from caramel.
These shades of colour vary from yellow to reddish brown to a deep blackish brown.
“ It is believed the first hard caramel was produced by the Egyptians around 1000 AD when they were experimenting to create an energy-rich
food that was easy to handle and transport.”
From ice cream (far left) to flavoured milk and fancy truffles, caramel is
the world’s most used colour.
The colour also has a colloidal charge depending on the manufacturing process and its intended application. For
example, beer requires a positively charged colour while soft drinks require a
negatively charged colour to avoid precipitation and mist problems.
When you are developing novel and existing new flavour combinations, specialist technical knowhow in caramel should be sought to get the best possible results. ✷
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Drink business | 27
INGREDIENTS
ABOVE: When Cadbury launched Caramilk, it created a whole new segment for chocolate lovers; as part of its 100 year anniversary, Cadbury made a limited edition chocolate caramel slice block with chef Curtis Stone.