Food Tree Consultancy
Follow us
  • Home
  • Our Services
    • Product Development, Labelling and Packaging
    • Food Quality, Hygiene and Safety
    • Food Manufacturing and Production
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Why Us
    • Join us
  • Contact Us
  • Blog

Blog

Latest news and information.

Home

Advice on apricot kernels and bitter almond kernels

11/5/2016

0 Comments

 
We advise that bitter apricot kernels including the powdered forms should not be eaten. This is because a naturally-occurring substance in the kernels changes – after people eat the products – to cyanide. Our updated advice follows a recent evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority.


We also advise that sweet apricot kernels, bitter almond kernels and powdered forms* are not eaten as the same toxic chemical can be present in these also.

The risk
Bitter apricot kernels, and bitter almond kernels, contain high amounts of the naturally-occurring substance called amygdalin that contributes to the bitter taste. This changes to the toxin cyanide after people eat the kernels. Variable amounts of amygdalin will also be present in the sweet apricot kernels.

Cyanide is a poisonous chemical that can cause nausea, fever, headaches, insomnia, thirst, lethargy, nervousness, joint and muscle aches and pains, falling blood pressure, and in extreme cases can be fatal.

Products that can be eaten
Our advice only applies to raw, unprocessed apricot kernels, bitter almond kernels and powdered forms of them.
Apricot kernels and bitter almond kernels can be used as flavouring in some foods, such as persipan paste. These flavoured products are safe to eat because* the kernels have undergone heat treatment or another type of relevant processing, and this means there are no harmful risks from cyanide.

The study
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) study looked at the risks to human health from apricot kernels. Based on cyanide levels, typically present from raw apricot kernels, EFSA concluded that an adult who eats less than half of a large kernel could exceed the safe level. For toddlers the amount would be about half of one small kernel. EFSA also concluded that it was not possible to distinguish between the bitter and sweet varieties of apricot kernels. Scientific literature also shows that cyanide levels in raw bitter almond kernels are similar to apricot kernels and so the same advice would apply.
The EFSA news story and opinion can be found via the link on this page.

0 Comments

    Author

    It is time to give everybody a chance to understand what we are consuming every single day.

    Categories

    All
    Allergens
    Food Policy

    Archives

    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    RSS Feed