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19.05.2025 - Foods

Tropanealkaloids in Teas: Undesirable Contamination with Health Risk

Several recalls of herbal and fruit teas in recent years highlight the risk of tropane alkaloids like atropine and scopolamine. These alkaloids, which naturally occur in plants such as thorn apple, are repeatedly detected in elevated levels, particularly in teas. They inadvertently enter tea blends due to contamination during harvest. Even small amounts of these alkaloids can cause health problems in humans; children and elderly people are particularly at risk.

Due to their toxicological relevance, maximum levels for tropane alkaloids in food have been established in the EU. For dried tea herbs, the limit is 25 µg/kg for the sum of atropine and scopolamine. This regulation is based on a risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which has set an acute reference dose (ARfD) of 0.016 µg/kg body weight. Exposure can be significantly reduced through controlled cultivation, careful raw material selection, and modern analytics.

At our Tentamus laboratories, we conduct tropane alkaloid analyses. We provide you with fast and reliable results. Our customer service representatives are available to answer any questions you may have regarding contaminants.