VEGETABLE CHARCOAL: Banned in Bread in Italy, but... It's Not Harmful! 

On January 5, 2016, the Forestry Corps of the Puglia Region seized bread containing vegetable charcoal from 12 bakers in Bari, Andria, Barletta, Foggia, Taranto, and Brindisi. The bakers were charged with fraud in commercial practices and the production of food altered with unauthorized chemical additives.  

The seized bakery products were prepared by adding vegetable charcoal to classic bread and focaccia recipes, ignoring the fact that vegetable charcoal is classified as a coloring agent (E153). As such, its use is prohibited by both national and European laws.  

Even before the seizure, campaigns against this widespread phenomenon had arisen, citing severe health risks and even declaring the ingredient carcinogenic. However, many pointed out that vegetable charcoal is sold in pharmacies and herbal shops as a dietary supplement, useful for addressing common digestive issues, bloating, or abdominal swelling.  

Vegetable charcoal has the physical property of binding and trapping gaseous and liquid substances in its structure, helping the body eliminate gases in the stomach or intestines. Moreover, it is used in pharmacology for cases of accidental or intentional poisoning, thanks to its high absorbent capacity.  

Adding charcoal to bread seemed to many like a great alternative to regular bread, allowing people to enjoy the benefits of vegetable charcoal in their daily diet.  

However, there has been significant confusion surrounding this issue.  

For example, during a broadcast on tv RAI NEWS on January 6, 2016, Dr. Mario Solano, a nutritionist at the National Institute of Health, stated in an interview that vegetable charcoal “cannot actually be used in bread and certain fresh pastries. It is authorized in Italy and the European Union as an additive in small quantities for some baked goods. The safety lies in its controlled usage for consumers.”  

In our opinion, the only accurate statement here is that it cannot be used in bread because the law prohibits the use of colorings in bread production. For all other baked goods, fresh or otherwise, the law permits its use in a “quantum satis” amount, meaning “as much as needed,” without any specific limit. This lack of limitation renders concerns about its safety unfounded. For context, pharmacies sell tablets containing 1–2 grams of vegetable charcoal to be taken multiple times a day—far exceeding the amount in even a kilogram of charcoal-containing bread!  

On tv STRISCIA LA NOTIZIA on January 7, 2016, a journalist interviewed Dr. Giuliano Palomba, Chief Commissioner of the Forestry Corps in Puglia. Dr. Palomba clarified that the seized “black bread and focaccia” were made with a substance the European Union has classified as a coloring agent (E153), which, like all colorings, cannot be used in bread production.  

This is the crux of the matter: the use of vegetable charcoal is not allowed by law (not by common sense) in bread. However, Dr. Palomba overstepped slightly by adding that it is prohibited in products similar to bread, which is incorrect. The law specifies only “bread.”  

The core issue lies in the classification of vegetable charcoal. Current legislation considers it not an ingredient but a coloring agent, classified under EU Regulation No. 1333/2008 as a natural food coloring (E153) and authorized for fine bakery products in “quantum satis” amounts (Annex II, Part E of the Regulation). This classification is confirmed by amendments in EU Regulation No. 1129/2011.  

As such, “bread” containing vegetable charcoal cannot be labeled as “bread.” It must instead be marketed as a bakery product with a creative name. That’s all. Alarmist claims about the ingredient’s dangers are baseless.  

The only precaution worth noting is that people taking medication should avoid consuming products containing vegetable charcoal 30 minutes before to two hours after taking their medicine. This is because, as mentioned, vegetable charcoal *may* absorb the active ingredients in drugs.  

There are no other contraindications.  

To clear up any doubts, the Ministry of Health issued a circular (protocol 47415-P on December 22, 2015) addressed to regional and provincial health departments. It confirmed the following:  

  • It is permissible to produce a “fine bakery product” using vegetable charcoal as a coloring additive in addition to the basic ingredients (water, yeast, and flour).  
  • It is not permissible to label, advertise, or present this product as “bread.” Instead, it must be marketed under a creative name.  
  • It is not permissible to declare or advertise the health benefits of vegetable charcoal for the human body (as it is classified as a coloring).  

The circular rightly avoids addressing debates on the product’s safety or health risks, as these concerns are unfounded.