焦糖是戊糖或己糖在无水或浓溶液下加热而生成的深褐色的粘稠物质。它作为褐色色素广泛用于调味品,如酱油以及饮料、啤酒、肉类制品等食品工业中。由于它在食品工业及烹调中使用广泛,因此焦糖的遗传毒性必然引起人们的重视,而在食品安全性评价中得到关注。本文报告国产的两种焦糖制品在原核及真核细胞系统中所获得的有关遗传活性的材料。 Caramel is a dark brown viscous material that is formed when pentose or hexose is heated in an anhydrous or concentrated solution. It is widely used as a brown pigment in condiments, such as soy sauce and beverages, beer, meat products and other food industries. Because of its wide use in the food industry and cooking, the genetic toxicity of caramel is bound to attract people’s attention, and has drawn attention in food safety evaluation. This article reports on the genetic activity of two domestic caramel products obtained in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell systems.