Cinnamon Oil | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Cinnamon oil is an essential oil steam-distilled from the bark or leaves of Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon cinnamon) or related Cinnamomum species; bark oil is dominated by cinnamaldehyde while leaf oil is richer in eugenol. It is used at trace levels in food and beverages worldwide as a natural flavouring agent.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

At typical food-flavouring concentrations, cinnamon oil has a long history of safe use and is GRAS-recognised in the US; however, it naturally contains trace genotoxic-concern compounds including methyleugenol, safrole, and coumarin, which EFSA has flagged as substances of concern in its bark oil assessments. EFSA established a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of 0.1 mg/kg bw/day for coumarin, and a small subset of individuals sensitive to coumarin may experience liver enzyme elevation at higher exposures. Cinnamaldehyde, the dominant bark-oil component, is a recognised skin and respiratory sensitiser.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
Health Canada (Canada)	Approved	Cinnamon-derived flavourings are permitted. The deliberate addition of coumarin to foods is prohibited; however, coumarin naturally present in cinnamon-derived ingredients is tolerated. Health Canada determined that coumarin levels naturally occurring in surveyed cinnamon products are not expected to pose a public-health concern at typical consumption levels.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Individual flavouring components of cinnamon oil (accounting for ~97% of GC peak areas) are authorised for use in food under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, as adopted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 872/2012. Bark and leaf oils from C. verum are authorised as animal-feed sensory additives (flavouring compounds) under Regulation (EC) 1831/2003. EFSA FEEDAP Panel noted methyleugenol, safrole, coumarin, 1,8-cineole, and camphor as substances of concern in the essential oil; uncertainty remains for long-lived animals due to styrene content, but no consumer safety concern was raised for food-use levels.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Cinnamon is a recognised natural spice and flavouring under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. No specific maximum limit is established for cinnamon oil as a flavouring ingredient; GMP applies. Apple and cinnamon infusion products have received FSSAI approval under the Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients Regulations, 2017.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Liver Disease — Coumarin naturally present in cinnamon oil can elevate liver enzymes and, in severe cases, cause liver inflammation in coumarin-sensitive individuals, as underpinned by the EFSA TDI of 0.1 mg/kg bw/day for coumarin.

Pregnancy — Cinnamaldehyde (dominant component of bark oil) and trace genotoxic constituents (methyleugenol, safrole) identified by EFSA's FEEDAP Panel raise precautionary concerns about high-dose exposure during pregnancy; food-level use is generally regarded as acceptable but supplemental or concentrated oil intake should be discussed with a clinician.

Children — Children may exceed the EFSA coumarin TDI of 0.1 mg/kg bw/day more readily than adults due to proportionally higher dietary intake relative to body weight, as highlighted in CFIA and UK FSA coumarin monitoring surveys.

Other — Individuals with a known cinnamaldehyde or eugenol contact allergy should avoid cinnamon oil, as cinnamaldehyde is a recognised skin and respiratory sensitiser per EFSA's 2021 FEEDAP Panel assessment.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1other. Survey on the Consumption of Cinnamon-Containing Foods and Drinks by the UK Population. food.gov.uk
2FDA. Food Additive Status List, 2026. fda.gov
3EFSA. Safety and efficacy of feed additives consisting of essential oils from the bark and the leaves of Cinnamomum verum J. Presl (cinnamon bark oil and cinnamon leaf oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl), 2022. efsa.europa.eu
4EFSA. Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of a tincture from the bark of Cinnamomum verum J. Presl (cinnamon tincture) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl), 2021. efsa.europa.eu
5other. Coumarin in Cinnamon, Cinnamon-Containing Foods and Licorice Flavoured Foods – April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016, 2016. inspection.canada.ca

Independently researched5 citations