Black Food – Trendy, but unhealthy: beware of coloured foods with active carbon

Activated carbon: Black Food better avoid

Burgers, pizzas, Smoothies: more and more food products are colored with active carbon black. Consumer advocates warn of the so-called Black Food. The consumption of such food can sometimes affect the health damage and the effect of drugs.

Coal-black burgers and pizzas

In the social media, a series of images of cabbage circulating on the black food. To see, among other things, black Smoothies, burgers, pizzas, Croissants, ice velvet, waffle, or simply black water bottles in chic Design. The origin of this trend comes from Japanese food stalls, and the United States, the so-called Black Food is now also to us. The black color will get food by the addition of activated carbon. Consumer advocates find this food to be problematic.

Effective in diarrhoea

Activated carbon produced in the partial combustion of carbon-containing starting materials, such as wood, peat or the husks of coconuts.

In foods you is authorised as an additive vegetable carbon, E 153.

The special feature of activated charcoal is that it binds substances. Due to this property of charcoal tablets are an effective remedy in diarrhoea and poisoning.

The carbon adsorbed pollutants, viruses, bacteria and their toxins. The body will be eliminated to the activated carbon-bound pollutants through the bowel.

Vitamins and minerals are no longer available

Because of this adsorbing effect, for example, advertised black Smoothies with a Detox effect.

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

On the contrary, According to consumer advocates carbon in food is active is not unproblematic.

“You not only binds toxins, but also valuable vitamins, minerals or secondary plant substances, which the body then”, says Gisela Horlemann, nutrition expert with the consumer service Bavaria in the KDFB e. V. (VSB) in a message.

Wirkbeeinträchtigung of drugs

In addition, it can come to Wirkbeeinträchtigung of drugs. In the case of people who do not suffer from diarrhea, the consumption of activated carbon in the high-dose constipation, in the worst case to a bowel obstruction.

Although the food quantities used appear on activated carbon at first glance low, but some of the recipes for homemade Black Smoothies recommend part a teaspoon of activated charcoal to half a Liter of drink. The equivalent of up to twelve carbon tablets.

“There’s nothing wrong with foods to try activated charcoal. By regular consumption of larger quantities however, we recommend that“, so Horlemann. (ad)