Popping pills or poppy seeds?

The suitability and safety of poppy seeds as a food commodity has recently come into question, following the publication in March this year of a disquieting article concerning a food-safety incident that occurred in France.

It was found – by the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumption and Suppression of Fraud, and the Directorate-General for Health – that poppy-seed bread contained concerning levels of morphine and other alkaloid compounds (such as codeine). This is not a new finding, however, as it is well documented that the ingestion of poppy seeds can produce a positive urinary opiate result, and even lead to intoxication in sensitive individuals.

But the edible seeds of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) typically contain trace amounts of opiates, or none at all, and are generally only contaminated during the harvesting process, by alkaloids present in the other components of the plant.

Most studies also indicate that the risk of a higher presence of opiates is predominately associated with unprocessed poppy seeds; it has been demonstrated that during food processing, the opiate content is significantly reduced.

However, there are currently no specific threshold levels available for the consumption of poppy seeds.

In 2016, the universally accepted cut-off limit for testing poppy seeds was increased from 300 ng/ml to 2000 ng/ml for opiate assays; this was stated to be the mandatory limit for all drug-screening laboratories. Despite this increased limit, results overall indicate that there is still a risk of positive drug test results or adverse reactions in sensitive individuals.

Should you have any concerns or queries on opiates in poppy seeds, please do not hesitate to contact FACTS for more information, or if you require testing services.

Other articles you may be interested in: Allergen risks: A global challenge.