Pyrrolizidine alkaloids - Levels in foods should continue to be kept as low as possible

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has been involved for several years with the problem of food contamination through 1,2 unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). PAs are secondary ingredients formed by plants to ward off predators. They are undesired in foods because of their toxic effect in the liver and their mutagenic and carcinogenic effects in animal experiments. This overall assessment takes into account data on the toxicology of PAs, consumption data on the various foods and the latest data on the levels found in milk, eggs, meat, fruit tea, honey, herbal tea, black tea and green tea, as well as spices, flours and dietary supplements as relevant food groups.