consume cassia cinnamon with high coumarin levels in moderation
Bioavailability BfR study confirms risk assessment
Coumarin is a flavoring which is found in higher concentrations in types of cinnamon, which are collectively known as cassia cinnamon. From medicinal use of coumarin is known that even relatively low doses can cause liver damage in susceptible individuals. The value of the tolerable daily intake dose was based on the pure substance, ie, determined by insulated coumarin. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has demonstrated by studies on the bioavailability of coumarin in humans that a mounted in the plant matrix cinnamon coumarin is similarly well absorbed by the body as isolated coumarin. Therefore, the value for the tolerable daily intake dose also applies coumarin in cinnamon. "The argument that coumarin from cinnamon is bioavailable only in clotting quantities, because it is taken from the poor plant matrix, that is not true", says BfR President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. "Consumers who often use large amounts of cinnamon as a spice should use coumarin poor Ceylon cinnamon."
Cinnamon is not just an integral part of Christmas cookies. Cinnamon is also used as a spice in and on cakes, rice pudding and other desserts. Essentially, a distinction must be made between the mild Ceylon cinnamon, which is native to Sri Lanka, and the somewhat tart cassia species, which contain higher amounts of coumarin.
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has updated its opinion on coumarin on the basis of new data. In recent years, new insights have been gained through our own research work, in particular on bioavailability and exposure to coumarin. Furthermore, new European maximum levels for coumarin in certain ready-to-eat foods have been in effect since 2011. The tolerable dose (TDI value) of 0,1 mg coumarin per kg body weight, which can be consumed daily for a lifetime without impairing health, continues to apply.
Bioavailability describes how much of a substance is available in the body after consumption. The BfR examined the relative bioavailability of coumarin by means of a "cross-over study". The participants (12 men and 12 women) received both coumarin as an isolated substance and coumarin in different cinnamon applications at different times. This enables the behavior of a substance in a person's body to be compared. The measurements in the urine and blood were carried out using a newly developed analysis method; the quantification was carried out using a deuterium-labeled internal standard. From the results it can be concluded that coumarin from cassia cinnamon (as powder in capsules or in rice pudding) is absorbed almost as well as the isolated coumarin.
Since 2011, new maximum levels for coumarin in ready-to-eat foods have been in force in the European Union (EU). Even if these new EU maximum levels are exhausted, the TDI value can only be exceeded if very large amounts of cinnamon-containing foods are consumed every day. For small children with a body weight of 15 kg, the TDI value would be exhausted at 30 g cinnamon stars (approx. 6 small cinnamon stars) or 100 g gingerbread per day.
The European Commission has not set any maximum levels for cinnamon sticks and cinnamon powder as a spice for use in the household. Since a slight excess of the TDI value for one to two weeks can be regarded as harmless, a health risk would only be possible for those consumers who consume a lot of cassia cinnamon with high coumarin content over a longer period of time. For an adult with a body weight of 60 kg, the TDI value for 2 g cassia cinnamon daily with average coumarin content is exhausted. In the case of a toddler weighing 15 kg, this is the case with a daily intake of 0,5 g cassia cinnamon with average coumarin content.
The BfR continues to advise moderate consumption of cassia cinnamon with a high coumarin content. Consumers who often use large amounts of cinnamon as a spice can switch to low-coumarin Ceylon cinnamon. In addition, it must be taken into account that the coumarin exposure of consumers can be increased via other entry routes, such as the use of personal care products containing coumarin.
About BfR
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientific institution in the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV). It advises the Federal Government and the states on questions of food, chemical and product safety. BfR engages in research on topics that are closely linked to its assessment tasks.
Source: Berlin [BfR]
