Apricot kernels pose cyanide poisoning risk, claims EU food health watchdog - FreshFruitPortal.com

Apricot kernels pose cyanide poisoning risk, claims EU food health watchdog

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Apricot kernels pose cyanide poisoning risk, claims EU food health watchdog

It is not exactly the most common practice, but now consumers have a convincing reason not to eat too many apricot kernels.

Some nutritionists have highlighted the anti-cancer properties of consuming the kernels, including nutrients like vitamin B17 (amygdalin), but the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) highlights this vitamin converts to cyanide after eating.

"Eating more than one large or three small raw apricot kernels in a serving can exceed safe levels. Toddlers consuming even one small apricot kernel risk being over the safe level," the EFSA said in a determination Wednesday.

"Cyanide poisoning can cause nausea, fever, headaches, insomnia, thirst, lethargy, nervousness, joint and muscle various aches and pains, and falling blood pressure. In extreme cases it is fatal," the authority said, adding studies indicated that 0.5-3.5mg of cyanide per kilogram of body weight would be needed for consumption to be lethal.

The EFSA's Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain has set a safe level for one-off exposure, known as the Acute Reference Dose (ARfD), of 20 micrograms per kilogram of body weight, which is 25 times below the lowest reported lethal dose.

"Based on these limits and the amounts of amygdalin typically present in raw apricot kernels, EFSA’s experts estimate that adults could consume one large or three small apricot kernels (370mg), without exceeding the ARfD," the authority said.

"For toddlers the amount would be 60mg which is about half of one small kernel."

Apricot kernels - EFSA

The EFSA emphasized normal consumption of apricot however did not pose a health risk to consumers.

"The kernel is the seed from inside the apricot stone. It is obtained by cracking open and removing the hard stone shell and, therefore, has no contact with the fruit.

"Most raw apricot kernels sold in the EU are believed to be imported from outside the EU and marketed to consumers via the internet. Sellers promote them as a cancer-fighting food and some actively promote intakes of 10 and 60 kernels per day for the general population and cancer patients, respectively.

"Evaluating the claimed benefits of raw apricot kernels for cancer treatment or any other use is outside EFSA’s food safety remit and was, therefore, not part of this scientific opinion."

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