Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Cumin
The EU pyrrolizidine alkaloid limit of 400 µg/kg for cumin and dried herbs, and the weed-seed source buyers have to control.
PA limit table
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are natural toxins from certain flowering weeds. They enter cumin and dried herbs when PA-bearing weed seeds are co-harvested and milled in with the crop. The EU sets a maximum level for the sum of PAs.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| EU maximum (sum of PAs) | 400 µg/kg |
| Spices and foods in scope | Cumin, dried herbs |
| Indian cumin border check | 30% (raised January 2025) |
| Source of contamination | Weed seeds co-harvested with the crop |
Why cumin is the exposed spice
- PA contamination is an agronomy and cleaning problem, not a storage one. It is fixed upstream by weed management in the field and by thorough seed cleaning and sorting, not by any downstream treatment.
- Cumin is doubly exposed at the EU border: it carries both the 400 µg/kg PA limit and a 30% pesticide-residue check under Reg. (EU) 2019/1793 raised in January 2025.
Buyer controls
Require a PA panel on cumin lots destined for the EU, buy cleaned and sortex-graded seed, and pair the PA result with the pesticide panel the border check will look for. A clean lot from a well-weeded field and a good cleaning line is the only reliable route past this limit.
Frequently asked
What is the EU pyrrolizidine alkaloid limit for cumin?
The EU caps the sum of pyrrolizidine alkaloids at 400 µg/kg for cumin and dried herbs. The contamination comes from PA-bearing weed seeds harvested with the crop.
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Start a sourcing enquiry →What this page does not tell you
- Tropane alkaloids
- A separate tropane-alkaloid limit can also apply to seed spices; its figure is not in our verified set and is not stated.
- PA levels found in Indian cumin
- Typical measured PA concentrations in Indian cumin lots are not in our verified set, so only the legal limit is quoted.
Reviewed 16 July 2026.
Sources
- Reg. (EU) 2023/915 — maximum levels for certain contaminants· Tier 1, retrieved 2026-07-16
- Reg. (EU) 2019/1793 — temporary increase of official controls· Tier 1, retrieved 2026-07-16
- RASFF Window — EU rapid alert for food and feed· Tier 1, retrieved 2026-07-16