Caramel is a material of major importance for the confectionery industry. It consists of an emulsion with a continuous phase of sugar syrups and some protein. It has a water content in the range 5-15% which is controlled by the cooking conditions.

It is shown that in the absence of added hydrocolloid, flow behaviour at the temperatures of interest to depositing and moulding is Newtonian. Incorporation of low levels (∼0.1%) of carrageenan or gellan gum has significant effects on caramel rheology and associated product properties such as cold flow. The hydrocolloid containing material shows some elastic behaviour when measured in oscillation and by creep, and a departure from Newtonian behaviour in steady shear viscometry. Measurements of extensional viscosity using a capillary rheometer demonstrate that the Trouton ratio significantly increases on carrageenan addition. The results are another indication of the ability of carrageenan and gellan to form networks in high sugar environments.