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Inherent plant toxins

Erucic acid

Erucic acid is the trivial name of the fatty acid cis-13-docosenoic acid (22:1 n-9). Erucic acid is mainly present in the seeds of species of Brassicaceae, which includes important seed crops such as rapeseed and mustards, and also important vegetable crops such as the diverse group of kales, cabbages and turnips. Brassica vegetables may contain only traces of erucic acid, while the seeds contain high levels. Cultivars of Brassicaceae with very low erucic acid content have been developed for seed oil production for food and feed use in most countries, including the EU.

Regulatory Information

EU legislation

Contaminants Framework Regulation: Regulation No. 315/93/EEC, as amended

Contaminants Legislation setting MLs: Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 , as amended

Other legislation setting MLs:

  • Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 of 25 September 2015 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the specific compositional and information requirements for infant formula and follow-on formula and as regards requirements on information relating to infant and young child feeding, as amended.

Sampling & Analysis Regulation: Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/705 of 30 April 2015 laying down methods of sampling and performance criteria for the methods of analysis for the official control of the levels of erucic acid in foodstuffs and repealing Commission Directive 80/891/EEC (OJ L 113, 1.5.2015)

Increased Control Measures: For potentially applicable emergency measures and temporary increased controls please see the section on Import and Export.

National legislation

Tropane alkaloids

Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are secondary metabolites which naturally occur in plants of several families including Brassicaceae, Solanaceae (e.g. mandrake, henbane, deadly nightshade, Jimson weed) and Erythroxylaceae (including coca). Seeds of TA-producing plants, such as Datura stramonium of the genus Datura, can be found as impurities in agricultural crops such as linseed, soybean, millet, sunflower and buckwheat and products thereof. TAs are found in all parts of the plants and comprise more than 200 compounds. However, data on their occurrence in food and feed and on toxicity are limited. The most studied TAs are (-)-hyoscyamine and (-)-scopolamine, which are formed naturally. The racemic mixture of (-)-hyoscyamine and (+)-hyoscyamine is called atropine.

Regulatory Information

EU legislation

Contaminants Framework Regulation: Regulation No. 315/93/EEC, as amended

Contaminants Legislation setting MLs: Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 , as amended

Monitoring Recommendation: Commission Recommendation 2015/976

Sampling & Analysis Regulation: Regulation (EC) No. 401/2006, as amended

Increased Control Measures: For potentially applicable emergency measures and temporary increased controls please see the section on Import and Export.

National legislation

Statutory Instrument No. 218 of 2010 as amended (S.I. No. 276 of 2012, S.I. No. 348 of 2012, S.I. No. 380 of 2013, S.I. No. 143 of 2014, S.I. No. 329 of 2016, S.I. No. 377 of 2017)

Hydrocyanic acid, including hydrocyanic acid bound in cyanogenic glycosides

Cyanogenic glycosides (CNGs) contain chemically bound cyanide groups and are present in numerous plants such as almonds, linseed, lima beans and cassava. CNGs are stable in the intact plants because their degrading enzymes are stored in different cellular compartments. When the plant cells are damaged, e.g. by grinding or chewing, CNGs and enzymes are brought in contact and cyanide is released, which in an aqueous environment exists as a mixture of non-dissociated acid (hydrogen cyanide, HCN) and its dissociated form (cyanide ion, CN-). Depending on their chemical structure, different CNGs release different amounts of cyanide (e.g. linamarin 109 mg HCN/g CNG, amygdalin 59 mg HCN/g CNG).

Regulatory Information

EU legislation

Contaminants Framework Regulation: Regulation No. 315/93/EEC, as amended

Contaminants Legislation setting MLs: Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 , as amended

Other legislation setting MLs

  • Regulation (EU) 2019/787 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the definition, description, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks, the use of the names of spirit drinks in the presentation and labelling of other foodstuffs, the protection of geographical indications for spirit drinks, the use of ethyl alcohol and distillates of agricultural origin in alcoholic beverages, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, as amended
  • Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties for use in and on foods and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91, Regulations (EC) No 2232/96 and (EC) No 110/2008 and Directive 2000/13/EC, as amended

Available EU guidance documents:

  • Code of practice for the reduction of hydrocyanic acid (HCN) in cassava and cassava products

Increased Control Measures: For potentially applicable emergency measures and temporary increased controls please see the section on Import and Export.

National legislation

S.I. No. 218 of 2010 as amended (S.I. No. 276 of 2012, S.I. No. 348 of 2012, S.I. No. 380 of 2013, S.I. No. 143 of 2014, S.I. No. 329 of 2016, S.I. No. 377 of 2017)