Hematogen

Hematogen (Russian: Гематоген) is a nutrition bar which is notable in that one of its main ingredients is black food albumin, a technical term for cow's blood. It was popular in the former Soviet Union.^[1] Chocolate is frequently mixed within it.^[2] Other ingredients may vary, but they usually contain sugar, condensed milk and vanillin.

Bars of Hematogen

It is often considered to be a medicinal product, and is used to treat or prevent low blood levels of iron and vitamin B12 (e.g., for anemia or during pregnancy).^[3] In the Soviet Union, it was available over-the-counter.^[1] They are still sold in Russia, Belarus,^[4] Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Sanguinaccio dolce, a sweet pudding made with pig’s blood
• Protein bar
• Blood as food
• Black pudding

References

1. Hay, Mark (29 March 2019). "How Russia Fell In Love With Candy Bars Made of Blood". Vice. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Its [the candy bar's] iron, which prevents anemia, came from black food albumin — a technical term for blood
2. Greene, Samuel; Robertson, Graeme (2019). Putin Vs. the People: The Perilous Politics of a Divided Russia. Yale University Press. p. 196. ISBN 9780300245059.
3. "Гематоген". WebApteka. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022.
4. "Belarus pubs urged to sell cow-blood snacks". BBC. Retrieved 11 August 2024.