ADDING charcoal to coffee, which has become a trend, is an offence under the Food Regulations 1985, the Health Ministry (MOH) said.

In a statement today, the MOH said food operators found serving coffee with charcoal could be fined a maximum of RM10,000 or up to two years’ prison, if found guilty.

“Ready-to-drink coffee is subject to regulation 269A of the Food (Revision of Penalties) Regulations 1985, which only allows the addition of sugar, dextrose/glucose/honey, milk, cream, other foodstuff and permitted flavouring. Charcoal is not categorised as a food,” read the statement.

The statement was issued in response to a November 16 Bernama report that highlighted a restaurant’s practice of dunking a lump of burning charcoal into coffee, which sparked debate on social media.

Charcoal coffee, or “kopi joss” as it is known in Indonesia, is claimed to have detoxification effects when consumed.

But health experts have expressed concern it could cause adverse effects such as bloating, diarrhoea and appendicitis.

The ministry said adding the hot charcoal to coffee is different from adding activated charcoal commonly used in the food industry, as the latter undergoes processing and purification that make it safe for consumption.

“However, with hot charcoal added directly to coffee, it is not possible to determine whether it has been properly processed or whether it is suitable for consumption, as it may contain foreign substances or toxic elements.

“As a precautionary measure, an investigation will be conducted upon receiving complete information about the affected food premises,” the ministry said.

Consumers can contact their nearest district Health Offices or state Health Departments about food safety issues via the MOH website or visit its Food Safety and Quality Division’s Facebook page. – Bernama, November 26, 2023.