SF Is Getting the Activated Charcoal Food Festival No One Asked For | Eater SF

"At the SoMa Street Food Park, a festival called 50 Shades of Charcoal will be held on Sunday, July 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring about a dozen food trucks and pop-up stands; it's being promoted as possibly the world's first food festival dedicated to activated charcoal and uses the tagline “Charcoal is definitely the new black.” The event leans into charcoal's supposed medical uses in its Facebook description by calling activated charcoal a "natural detoxifier," and promises charcoal-dyed offerings and an on-site bar pouring items like charcoal lemonade or sangria. I note, however, that activated charcoal is mostly flavorless (with only a slight tinge of chalk or cement), has limited evidence of general health benefits beyond specific medical uses, can absorb medications and nutrients (hence the event's disclaimer to avoid charcoal-laced food within two hours of taking prescription meds), and has even been banned in food in some places like New York City—so don't expect a charcoal-dyed corndog to cure what ails you." - Tim Forster