Superfood lupine seeds Beware of bitter taste, prefer sweet lupins

(BZfE) - Lupine seeds may contain bitter-tasting toxins and endanger their health, informs the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in a recent statement. In Germany, there were isolated cases of poisoning by bitter lupine seeds in recent years. They were often due to a non-specialized pretreatment ("debittering") of the seeds.

Lupine flour is used in food production, among others, in gluten-free bakery and pasta, soy substitute products and in dietary products for milk protein allergy sufferers. In some European countries, lupine seeds are also popular as a snack. However, foods with lupine seeds are rarely on the table in Germany. According to a recent survey of over 2,000 participants, only 9 percent of people have ever consciously eaten a product containing lupine seeds. Only one percent bought lupine seeds and processed them themselves.

Image: Popova Olga - fotolia

Lupine seeds may contain varying amounts of bitter quinolizidine alkaloids, depending on their botanical nature and geographic origin. If these pollutants are not properly removed, they trigger symptoms of poisoning in humans such as dizziness, palpitations and nausea. At very high doses, even cardiac arrest and respiratory paralysis may result. There is a general distinction between sweet lupins and bitter lupins. Sweet lupins naturally have a low alkaloid content and can be eaten without further processing. Bitter lupine seeds on the other hand must be treated before preparation.

The BfR recommends that consumers only resort to sweet lupine seeds. However, on the label of unprocessed goods, it is often impossible to tell which variety it is. If the products contain bitter lupine seeds, they should already be "debittered" industrially and labeled accordingly. Heike Kreutz