EU Updates List of Foodstuffs With Maximum Levels of Hydrocyanic Acid

Hydrocyanic acid is a highly toxic substance. While it is not present in food at toxicologically relevant levels, it is released when plant-derived foods containing cyanogenic glycosides are chewed or otherwise processed and those glycosides enter into contact with hydrolytic enzymes. As hydrocyanic acid always forms as a mixture of nondissociated acid and dissociated cyanide ions, the health-based guidance value is calculated for this mixture, referred to as ‘cyanide’. Maximum levels for hydrocyanic acid should therefore be set in certain foodstuffs to ensure a high level of human health protection. The amendments are added in In Section 8 of the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 for Maximum limits in Alomnds, Linseed, Casava.