Black Food - Hip but Harmful Enjoy these colored foods with care

Activated carbon: better avoid black food

Burgers, Pizzas, Smoothies: More and more foods are blackened with activated charcoal. Consumer advocates warn against the so-called black food. The consumption of such foods can sometimes harm your health and affect the effects of medication.

Cabbage black burgers and pizzas

Numerous images of carbon black food are circulating in social media. On display are black smoothies, burgers, pizzas, croissants, ice cream and waffle, or simply black water in stylish designer bottles. The origin of the trend comes from Japanese food stalls and the so-called Black Food has now reached us via the USA. The black color gets the food by adding activated carbon. Consumer advocates find these foods problematic.

A new trend in the food market is called Black Food. The black color gets the food by adding activated carbon. Too much of it should not be eaten. (Image: grinchh / fotolia.com)

Effective in diarrheal diseases

Activated carbon is formed during the partial combustion of carbonaceous raw materials such as wood, peat or the shells of coconuts.

In food, it is approved as an additive biochar or E 153.

The special thing about activated carbon is that it binds substances to itself. Because of this property, charcoal tablets are an effective remedy for diarrhea and poisoning.

The coal adsorbs pollutants, viruses, bacteria and their toxins. The body excretes the pollutants bound to the activated carbon via the intestine.

Vitamins and minerals are no longer available

Because of this adsorbing effect, for example, black smoothies are advertised with a detox effect.

However, there is no scientific evidence that activated carbon in food detoxifies.

On the contrary: According to consumer advocates, activated carbon in food is not without problems.

"It binds not only toxins but also valuable vitamins, minerals or phytochemicals, which are then no longer available to the body," explains Gisela Horlemann, nutrition expert at the Consumer Service Bavaria in KDFB e.V. (VSB) in a statement.

Impairment of drugs

In addition, drugs may be impaired. In people who do not suffer from diarrhea, the intake of activated carbon in high dosage leads to constipation, in the worst case to a bowel obstruction.

Although the amounts of activated carbon used in food appear low at first glance, some homemade black smoothies sometimes recommend one teaspoon of activated charcoal per pint of beverage. This corresponds to up to twelve charcoal tablets.

"There is no point in trying foods with activated charcoal once. However, we advise against regular consumption of larger quantities, "says Horlemann. (Ad)