FSAP Chem TS - 2015-16 Coumarin in cinnamon, cinnamon-containing foods, and licorice flavoured foods - TS020 - Open Data

Targeted surveys provide information on potential food hazards and enhance the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA's) routine monitoring programs. These surveys provide evidence regarding the safety of the food supply, identify potential emerging hazards, and contribute new information and data to food categories where it may be limited or non-existent. They are often used by the agency to focus surveillance on potential areas of higher risk. Surveys can also help to identify trends and provide information about how industry complies with Canadian regulations.

Coumarin is a naturally occurring sweet-smelling compound found in many plants, including cinnamon and tonka beans. Its derivatives can be found in plants commonly used as licorice flavour, such as fennel, aniseed and licorice root. Coumarin was used as a flavouring agent in the food and cosmetic industries for many years, and although its use in the cosmetic industry continues, it has been discontinued in the food industry due to evidence of potential toxic and adverse effects on the liver. Low exposure to this compound from natural sources is expected and not anticipated to represent a health risk. The CFIA considered it important to examine coumarin levels in commonly available ground cinnamon, cinnamon-containing products and licorice flavoured products to ensure that these are safe for consumption.

This targeted survey generated further baseline surveillance data on the concentration of coumarin in domestic and imported products on the Canadian retail market. The CFIA sampled and analyzed 747 products, including 200 baked goods, 29 cinnamon samples, 221 spice mixes and 297 tea samples. Coumarin was detected in 90% of the samples, with levels ranging from 0.2 ppb to 5040 ppb. The highest levels were detected in ground cinnamon and spice mixes. The average and maximum concentration in all categories were comparable to previous targeted surveys and a variety of scientific studies.

Health Canada (HC) determined that the levels of coumarin observed in this survey are not expected to pose a concern to human health, therefore there were no follow-up actions resulting from this survey.