YenzoWhat is E153 (vegetable carbon)?
It is vegetable carbon, a colour that gives a black shade.
E153Vegetable carbon
E153 is vegetable carbon, a fine black powder made by burning plant material such as wood or coconut shells. In food it gives a black colour.
- Code
- E153 · INS 153
- Group
- Colour
In Vietnam✓ PermittedOn the list of permitted additives — Circular 24/2019, Appendix 1
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalevery low?Based on the Open Food Facts additives taxonomy
How E153 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, colour (153), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
colour (153)colour 153E153INS 153On Vietnamese labels: Carbon thực vật
Vegetable carbon in food
Hard and soft candyChewing gumEdible ices and fruit ice creamBaked goodsFlavoured milk drinks and fermented milk
Questions about vegetable carbon
Is vegetable carbon harmful?
In 2012 EFSA concluded that vegetable carbon (E 153) at the reported uses and use levels is not of safety concern, provided the material contains less than 1.0 µg/kg of residual PAHs expressed as benzo[a]pyrene. EFSA could not derive an ADI because the available database is sparse. In its 2026 opinion EFSA noted that E 153 contains a fraction of small particles, including nanoparticles, and said that the 2012 risk assessment should be complemented with nanoscale considerations.
Is E153 permitted in Vietnam?
Yes. Vegetable carbon (INS 153) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, with the function colour.
Other colours
E150Caramel colour (class not printed)lowE150aPlain caramel (caramel I)very lowE150bCaustic sulphite caramel (caramel II)lowE151Brilliant black BNlowE154Brown FKhighE155Brown HTlow
See all colours →Updated 21 October 2026
Sources (3)
- Open Food Facts additives taxonomy (Yenzo's table cites no EFSA opinion for this code). Open Food Facts additives taxonomy, https://github.com/openfoodfacts/openfoodfacts-server/blob/main/taxonomies/additives.txt (entry en:e153)
- Thông tư 24/2019/TT-BYT (văn bản hợp nhất 09/VBHN-BYT), Phụ lục 2B: nhóm thực phẩm được phép dùng INS 153
- EFSA Journal (2026). Scientific opinion on the amendment of the specifications for vegetable carbon (E 153) as a food additive