Hilary McClure wrote:

 >Pure caramel is just browned sugar. You just put sugar in a pan, melt it
 >and keep cooking until it turns brown. No fat, starch, or protein.

That may be how you would make it, but commercially the FDA Standard of
Identity for the color additive caramel is the dark-brown liquid or solid
material resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of the
following food-grade carbohydrates:
    Dextrose (corn sugar)
    Invert sugar
    Lactose (milk sugar)
    Malt syrup (usually from barley malt)
    Molasses (from cane)
    Starch Hydrolysates and fractions thereof (can include wheat)
    Sucrose (cane or beet)
(Also acids, alkalis and salts are listed which may be employed to assist
caramelization)

My understanding is these days it is being made from corn.

Don.