Is Vegetable Carbon (E153) Vegan?

Also known as: Vegetable black, Carbo medicinalis vegetalis, Plant charcoal, CI 77266

Vegan

Vegetable carbon is vegan. EU rules require the additive to be made by carbonizing plant material such as wood, peat, or coconut shell. Bone char is a separate substance and never carries this number.

Last checked How we decide

Ingredient Data

Vegan Status

Vegan

E-Number

E153

Also Known As

Vegetable black; Carbo medicinalis vegetalis; Plant charcoal; CI 77266

Source

Made by charring plant material. Wood, peat, coconut shell, or cellulose residues are carbonized under controlled heat with limited oxygen, then washed and milled to a fine black powder. EU specifications require the raw material to be vegetable, which is what separates this number from carbon blacks of other origin.

Commonly Found In

Black licorice and sweets, coated confectionery, jams and jellies, the ash layer on some cheeses, black bread and burger buns, charcoal ice cream and drinks, capsules, toothpaste, and cosmetics.

Vegan Alternative

No substitute needed. E153 is vegan.

Additional Notes

The EU specification for E153 requires a vegetable source, so the name is a legal requirement and not a marketing choice. Carbon black from other feedstocks, once numbered E152, is not authorized in the EU. E153 is not an approved food color in the United States, which is why charcoal-colored foods are a European and Asian phenomenon.

In depth

Charred Wood, Not Charred Bone

Most people who look up E153 have heard about bone char and want to know whether black food is made with it. The two materials are separate and are never interchangeable under EU rules. Bone char is made by heating cattle bones in a sealed vessel until only a black carbon and calcium phosphate residue remains. Its main use is as a filter in some cane sugar refineries, mostly in the United States, and it has no E-number as a food color in the EU.

E153 is made by carbonizing vegetable matter. The feedstock is hardwood, peat, coconut shells, or cellulose left over from other processing. The EU specification names the vegetable origin explicitly and sets limits on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which form whenever organic material is charred. Where a black food sold in the EU lists E153, the color came from plants.

Where Black Food Gets Its Color

Traditional uses came first. Black licorice takes its color partly from the licorice itself and partly from added carbon. Certain cheeses carry an ash layer, including Morbier's central line and the rind of some goat cheeses, which was historically wood ash and is now often food-grade vegetable carbon. The charcoal food trend of the last decade pushed the additive into ice cream, lemonade, burger buns, and cocktails.

Some jurisdictions pushed back: New York City banned activated charcoal in food in 2018, and the United States has never approved it as a color additive. One practical caution has nothing to do with sourcing. Activated charcoal binds drugs in the gut, which is the basis of its use in poisoning treatment, and it can reduce the absorption of oral medication including contraceptives. Anyone eating charcoal foods regularly and taking medication should space them apart.

Regulatory Position and Purity

EFSA re-evaluated E153 in 2012 and concluded there was no safety concern at reported use levels, while asking for tighter control of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon residues from the charring step. EU specifications set limits for those contaminants. The United States is the notable gap in approval.

Neither vegetable carbon nor activated charcoal is a permitted color additive in US food, so American products get their black from heavy blends of synthetic dyes or from dark cocoa. That difference explains why charcoal ice cream is common in London and Tokyo and rare in New York. In cosmetics the same pigment appears as CI 77266. Charcoal toothpaste, face masks, and eyeliner use it, and the vegetable origin carries across.

Frequently asked questions

Is E153 vegan?

Yes. EU specifications require vegetable carbon to be made from plant material such as wood, peat, or coconut shell. No animal source is permitted under the number.

Is vegetable carbon the same as bone char?

No. Bone char is made from cattle bones and is used as a filter medium in some cane sugar refineries. Vegetable carbon comes from charred plant material and is the only black carbon color authorized as a food additive in the EU.

Why is charcoal food banned in the United States?

The FDA has never approved activated charcoal or vegetable carbon as a color additive for food, and New York City enforced that position with a ban in 2018. Both are permitted in the EU, the UK, and much of Asia.

Does activated charcoal interfere with medication?

It can. Charcoal binds compounds in the gut, which is why hospitals use it after some poisonings, and the same effect can reduce absorption of oral drugs including contraceptives. Space charcoal foods well away from medication.

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