Caramel, a confection characterized by its mix of sweet and complex flavors, has been captivating culinary enthusiasts for centuries. It is an intriguing product where sugar and milk are subjected to a complex chemical transformation. This thermal decomposition process results in a variety of new compounds, imparting caramel with its distinctive flavor and golden-brown color.

Caramelization involves intricate chemical reactions, including sugar caramelization and the Maillard reaction, frequently called nonenzymatic browning reaction, involving amino acids and reducing sugars such as fructose and glucose, resulting in the formation of a wide range of compounds responsible for the diverse and intense flavors and aromas mix contributing to caramel's flavor profile. An array of brown pigments, called melanoids, further enrich the sensory experience of caramel.

The Maillard reaction is highly temperature-dependent, manifesting more rapidly at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, maintaining the appropriate pH level is a critical factor in controlling the Maillard browning pathways, which significantly influences caramel quality. Therefore, precise temperature and pH control in the caramel pre-mix are imperative to achieve the desired characteristics and flavor in the final caramel product.

Caramel’s texture can go from creamy smooth syrup to a hard candy confection. This will determine the type of sweeteners and final moisture required after cooking the mix. If crystallization is promoted, caramel will become a Fudge.

Industrial caramel production requires precision and uniformity for mass-scale operations. It entails a series of stages and employs specialized equipment:

Mixing and Dissolution: Sugar, milk and fats and other constituents are mixed  and dissolved in water, typically within substantial stainless-steel tanks, utilizing controlled heating and agitation for homogenous integration.

Emulsification/ homogenization: This step will be helpful to break down fat globules and assure fat is mixed within the candy slurry in smaller particles and void its separation. 

Cooking/Caramelization: The syrup is heated in a dedicated vessel, like a copper kettle or stainless-steel tank, to reach the desired caramelization temperature. Enough time at temperatures above about 110 °C (230 °F) is needed to allow browning reactions. Automated systems are often employed to ensure precision.

Cooling and Shaping: Upon achieving the desired caramelization state, the caramel is cooled (either cold table or cooling wheel) and shaped utilizing machinery like rollers or molds, with certain facilities featuring continuous cooking and cooling lines for efficiency.

Packaging: The finalized caramel is packaged for distribution, employing suitable packaging materials such as airtight containers or moisture-resistant wraps to maximize shelf life.

Balance between Sucrose and Corn Syrup will determine the main texture and stand of properties of the caramel, while fats can be used also to avoid cold flow and change mouthfeel experience. 

Experimenting with different dairy products, that will have different levels of fat, protein, lactose and water, can lead to interesting products with a variety of flavors and colors and help on trouble shooting during manufacturing.

Time given to caramelization step will affect directly in the formation of flavor and color compounds.

A Meticulous Emulsification step will ensure a seamless, well-integrated mixture.

Use of salts will help pH to be closer to neutral, helping in efficient Maillard reactions, but a slightly acidic pH during cooking will help in creating reducing sugars from sucrose if there are not enough in the formulation.

*Dairy ingredients can be evaporated milk, dried milk powder, sweetened condensed milk.