Cardamom | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum L. Maton) is a tall perennial herb of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) native to South India and Sri Lanka, whose dried seeds are widely used as an aromatic spice and flavoring agent in foods, beverages, and traditional medicines worldwide. Its characteristic warm, sweet flavor is primarily attributed to essential oil components terpineol acetate (>35%) and 1,8-cineole (>20%).

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Cardamom is broadly considered safe at typical culinary use levels and carries no established ADI; it holds GRAS status in the United States and is permitted as a natural flavoring in the EU under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008. A mouse study found that extremely high perinatal doses (10–20% of diet, far exceeding normal dietary exposure) delayed neurodevelopmental milestones in offspring, suggesting caution against supplement-level use during pregnancy. No IARC carcinogenicity classification has been assigned to cardamom.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Cardamom seeds and preparations are permitted as natural flavoring in food under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008. Cardamom essential oil is authorized as a sensory feed additive under Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. EFSA FEEDAP Panel (2019) confirmed safety in animal feed at 5 mg/kg; the majority of its flavoring constituents are authorized without limitations as food flavorings.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Recognized as a permitted natural spice and flavoring ingredient under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Explicitly mentioned as a permitted ingredient in multiple product standards. FSSAI issued dedicated guidance for spice safety (including cardamom) covering post-harvest processing, GMP, and HACCP requirements.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Listed in FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory (formerly EAFUS) as a GRAS spice under 21 CFR 182.10 and as a FEMA GRAS flavoring substance; permitted at Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) levels in food.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — A mouse study found that very high perinatal doses of cardamom (10–20% of diet) delayed neurodevelopmental and physical milestones in offspring; culinary amounts are considered safe, but high-dose supplement use during pregnancy should be avoided.

Lactation — As a precautionary extension of perinatal animal study findings, excessive or supplement-level cardamom intake during lactation is not recommended, though normal dietary use poses no recognized risk.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) – Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum). hfpappexternal.fda.gov
2EFSA. Safety and efficacy of an essential oil from Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton when used as a sensory additive in feed for all animal species, 2019. efsa.europa.eu
3PubMed. Chemical and Biological Evaluation of Essential Oils from Cardamom Species, 2018. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4FSSAI. FSSAI Guidance Note for Spices: From Post-Harvest to Transportation, 2018. fssai.gov.in
5PubMed. Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) perinatal exposure effects on the development, behavior and biochemical parameters in mice offspring, 2018. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations