Activated Carbon for food

How activated carbon is used in the food sector

1. Processing & purification uses

• Sugar refining – Powdered or granular activated carbon beds strip the yellow–brown pigments that survive lime/sulphitation, improving ICUMSA colour and flavour stability.

• Beverage water – Soft-drink and brewery plants pass incoming water through carbon to remove chlorine/chloramine, micropollutants and earthy/phenolic notes before RO or ion-exchange.

• Wine & spirits – Oenological carbons (very low ash) are dosed at 5–100 g hL⁻¹ to correct browning, smoke-taint volatiles or fusel oils; the slurry is then filtered out.

• Other niche uses: deodorising vinegar, clarifying fruit juices, decolourising plant extracts, recovering flavours from scrap candy, etc.

Practical tip: Because all the carbon must later be removed, processors favour fine powders (easy to filter) or enclosed GAC columns that are steam-regenerated off-site.

2. Colour additive status (E153)

3. Safety, nutrition & interaction points

• Adsorption is non-selective. Ingested carbon can bind water-soluble vitamins and up to 79 common drugs (e.g., acetaminophen, antidepressants, oral contraceptives), reducing their bioavailability.

• Spacing rule: Nutritionists advise at least a 2–4 h gap between any charcoal-coloured food and critical medication.

• Digestive effects: Occasional servings are generally well tolerated, but high, chronic intakes may cause constipation, dehydration or (rarely) bowel obstruction.

• Regulatory specs minimise heavy-metal exposure. Use only food-grade, acid-washed carbons certified to the Food Chemicals Codex or equivalent.

4. Formulation guidance for product developers