Food scandal morphine found in poppy seed bunches in bulk

Painkiller for breakfast: Excessive morphine levels in poppy seed rolls
The Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office Karlsruhe (CVUA) has found in poppy seed buns increased morphine and thebaine content. The experts report "alarmingly high concentrations". A drug effect is not excluded. The poppy used was mostly from Australia.

Not suitable for consuming
"Poppy seed rolls made from poppy seeds from Australia can contain morphine and thebaine in alarmingly high concentrations," reports the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Bureau Karlsruhe (CVUA) in a recent release. According to the information, the morphine levels of a total of four samples of poppy seed rolls were so high that the samples were judged as "not suitable for consumption". A drug effect can not be excluded. Three of these samples were therefore made with Australian poppy.

The Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office Karlsruhe (CVUA) has found increased morphine levels in poppy seed buns. The opiate levels were so high that the samples were judged "not suitable for consumption". (Image: Andre Bonn / fotolia.com)

Poppy varieties for the production of medicines
According to the experts, Australia's poppy cultivation covers much of the world market for opioids for drug manufacturing. There are especially cultivated morphine and Thebain-rich varieties. In addition to morphine (also known as morphine), Thebain was also included in a series of poppy seed bun samples.

Thebain is a poppy opiate that has received little attention so far with insufficient toxicological evaluation. "Opiate-rich poppies grown for medicinal use should not be used in the food industry," the bureau writes.

For some people dangerous
In 2011, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a scientific opinion suggesting that the consumption of foods containing poppy seeds could be of concern to some consumer groups. That was the orientation of the CVUA.

According to the experts, the so-called "Acute Reference Dose" (ARfD) for morphine for a 15 kg child is already being exhausted by over 200% when consuming a single such bun. "This means that a child with a roll can already take in two-thirds of a dose of morphine, which is considered in the human medical field as an effective dose to relieve severe pain."

Contributing to the safety of consumers
Discussions on setting a maximum level for the morphine content of poppy seeds have been ongoing in the relevant EU bodies for years. According to the CVUA, setting a maximum level for morphine and other opiates in poppy seeds certainly makes sense. However, the current data show that only setting a maximum level for total opiate content in food can make a meaningful contribution to consumer safety. (Ad)