Black-colored food is popping up all over. From black coconut-ash ice cream to activated-charcoal-enhanced smoothies to black brioche buns. With Japan often being on the forefront of colorful food and drink trends, it is not supricing to see Japanese Burger King developed the Kuro Burger with a bun colored with bamboo charcoal and squid ink sauce and black-colored cheese. Ikea in Japan even introduced a black “Ninja Dog”, a hot dog that’s entirely black, from sausage to bun.
Black as food color is not new, for example, squid ink has been used to flavor and color pasta and risotto for a long time. Black barley, quinoa and garlic add eye appeal and drama to classic dishes. The more dominant black natural colorant is vegetable carbon. Vegetable Carbon (Carbon black) is made from fine particles of carbonized vegetable material, obtained through steam activation of vegetable fibres. Consumers often associate black with a bitter flavor, just the color seems to make the flavor more intense even if no flavor is added.
Vegatable carbon is suitable for black food coloring in e.g. confectionery, bakery products, decorations, cheese coating, black caviar substitute, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Contact us to learn more about food coloring with Vegetable Carbon.