Black food and drinks seem to have become a trend in the culinary industry for many years. The black color obtained from activated charcoal is said to not only make food look attractive, but it is also claimed to provide a number of health benefits.
One of the claims of activated charcoal that is often "sold" is that activated charcoal can absorb toxins from the body. Have you heard of it?
Black food is still in demand in the market. However, apparently in New York State, especially in New York City, the use of activated charcoal in food and beverages has been banned since 2018.
Quoted from the NY Eater, a spokesman said that the ban on the use of activated charcoal in New York is not a new rule. FDA rules note that they have issued government regulations asking restaurants to stop selling activated charcoal products.
Morgenstern, one of the ice cream parlors in New York has been serving ice cream made from coconut ash, since 2015. Since then, they claim that the activated charcoal they sell has due diligence on the product.
Even after three health checks since 2015, no complaints have been received about the charcoal ice cream they produce. This prohibition is also aimed at the Round K coffee shop in New York which has an activated charcoal latte menu.
"Activated charcoal at that time, most people sold it as a supplement. We thought it was OK for food," said Ockhyeon Byeon, owner of Round K.
So, what causes the Department of Health in New York to prohibit the use of activated charcoal in food and beverages?
Why is Activated Charcoal Banned?
The New York Department of Health does not allow food and drinks with activated charcoal in them because of the prohibition on activated charcoal as a food coloring by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
On the other hand, scientists are generally skeptical of the health benefits of activated charcoal itself. So far, activated charcoal is claimed to be a substance that can eliminate bad chemicals in the body.