Cauliflower | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) is an edible cruciferous vegetable from the Brassicaceae family, widely consumed as a whole food ingredient. It is valued for its dense nutrient profile — including vitamin C, dietary fibre, glucosinolates, phenolics, and minerals — and is used raw, cooked, or as a low-carbohydrate substitute in processed foods.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Cauliflower is broadly safe for the general adult population with no established ADI; it is a recognised source of health-promoting phytochemicals and epidemiological data link higher cruciferous vegetable intake to reduced cancer risk. Its glucosinolates can yield goitrogenic by-products (goitrin, thiocyanate) upon hydrolysis, but a 2024 systematic review found that cooked cauliflower showed no effect on thyroid radioiodine uptake in humans, and the risk is largely confined to individuals with pre-existing hypothyroidism or iodine deficiency consuming very large raw quantities. High-fibre content may exacerbate bloating and GI discomfort in individuals with IBS or IBD.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Cauliflower is a conventional food in the EU; contaminant limits apply under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915. No substance-specific ADI or maximum daily intake is established for fresh cauliflower.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Cauliflower is recognised as a conventional food ingredient permissible under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and associated FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. No specific ADI or use-level restriction is established for fresh cauliflower.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Cauliflower is regulated as a whole fresh produce item under FSMA Produce Safety Rule (21 CFR Part 112), which sets science-based minimum standards for safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding. No maximum daily intake or ADI is set for a whole vegetable.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Thyroid Disease — Cauliflower contains glucosinolates that hydrolyse to goitrogenic compounds (goitrin, thiocyanate); patients with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's thyroiditis are advised to avoid or limit large raw amounts, as goitrogens can inhibit iodine uptake — though cooking substantially deactivates these compounds.

Ibs — Cauliflower is high in fermentable oligosaccharides (FODMAPs) and insoluble fibre, which can trigger bloating, gas, and abdominal pain in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome.

Ibd — The high fibre and fermentable carbohydrate content of cauliflower may exacerbate gastrointestinal symptoms during active inflammatory bowel disease flares.

Kidney Disease — Cauliflower contains moderate amounts of potassium and phosphorus; patients with advanced chronic kidney disease on potassium or phosphorus restrictions may need to limit or leach cauliflower before consumption under dietitian guidance.

Gout — Cauliflower contains purines at low-to-moderate levels; although evidence is weaker than for meat-based purines, some clinical guidelines suggest moderation for gout patients monitoring total purine load.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Unveiling the Effects of Cruciferous Vegetable Intake on Different Cancers: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-analysis, 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2PubMed. Do Brassica Vegetables Affect Thyroid Function? — A Comprehensive Systematic Review, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. Variation in the Accumulation of Phytochemicals and Their Bioactive Properties among the Aerial Parts of Cauliflower, 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Concentrations of thiocyanate and goitrin in human plasma, their precursor concentrations in brassica vegetables, and associated potential risk for hypothyroidism, 2016. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5PubMed. Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Fresh and Processed White Cauliflower, 2013. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations