On 10 Nov 2013, Taiwan FDA preannounced that caramel color will be listed as a food colorant at the end of this year, to bring the total number of such colorants included in the revised draft of Standards for Specification, Scope, Application and Limitation of Food Additives to 39. Once effective, food manufacturers or distributors violating new regulations will be fined NTD 30,000 to NTD 3 million according to the Act Governing Food Sanitation.
The reason behind the development of new regulations is underpinned by research implicating a molecular component produced during caramel processing 4-MEI in cancer pathology. Caramel colors can be divided into four types according to its degree of processing, which are plain caramel, sulfite caramel, ammonia caramel, and sulfite ammonia caramel. The latter two may generate 4 MEI during the manufacturing process.
According to the revised draft, the limit of use of caramel color in different products is as follows:
| Type of caramel color | Name of product | Limit of use |
| Ammonia caramel (Type III) | Cola | 50g/kg |
| Sulfite ammonia caramel (Type IV) | Concentrated color soy sauce | 60g/kg |
| Fermented soy sauce | 20g/kg | |
| Black vinegar and coffee | 10g/kg |
Moreover, for fresh meat, aquatic products, beans and fruits, caramel color should not be used. If caramel color is used in processed food, it must be clearly labelled. In addition, manufacturers must also provide relevant documentation to prove which type of caramel color is used in case of inspection.
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