The invention discloses a process for producing caramel
pigment, comprising the following procedures of a) gelatinization procedure, b)
liquefaction and saccharification procedure, c)
hydrolysis procedure and d) ammonification procedure, wherein the b)
liquefaction and saccharification procedure comprises the following steps: adding alpha-
amylase and saccharifying
enzyme to the gelatinized purplesweet potato with the pH of 4.5-6.0 and the temperature of 70-95 DEG C, and reacting for 30-60min, wherein the weight proportion of the purple sweet potato, the alpha-
amylase and saccharifying enzymeis 1:0.01-0.04:0.01-0.04. Compared with the prior art, in the invention, the purple sweet potato is taken as the
raw material, therefore the extraction procedure of
starch is saved and the process flow is simplified; furthermore, the purple sweet potato contains natural
pigment and has good
acid resistance,
salt resistance and good stability; the caramel
pigment produced by taking the sweet potato as the
raw material has
high color ratio and good stability, generates no pollutants during the
hydrolysis process, shortens the production period and saves the cost; and the caramel pigment prepared by utilizing the
sugar solution through a high-pressure
ammonia method has good
color ratio and good product quality.