Cinnamon Powder | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Cinnamon powder is finely ground dried inner bark from trees of the genus Cinnamomum, chiefly C. verum (Ceylon/true cinnamon) or C. cassia (cassia/Chinese cinnamon); it is one of the world's oldest known spices used globally as a flavouring in baked goods, beverages, confectionery, and savoury dishes. The two botanical types differ significantly in their content of the naturally occurring compound coumarin, which is negligible in Ceylon cinnamon but high in cassia.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

The principal safety concern is coumarin, a naturally occurring substance present at very high concentrations in cassia-type cinnamon (2,650–7,017 mg/kg) but virtually absent in Ceylon cinnamon (<0.01 mg/g dry weight); EFSA established a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of 0.1 mg/kg body weight per day for coumarin in 2004 and reaffirmed it in 2008. Regular heavy consumption of cassia cinnamon—particularly in children—can readily exceed this TDI and has been associated with hepatotoxicity, though coumarin is considered non-genotoxic in humans at dietary exposure levels. Sensitive populations including children, individuals with liver disease, and those taking high-dose cinnamon supplements face the greatest risk of exceeding the TDI.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Restricted	Cinnamon is permitted as a spice; however, its constituent coumarin is regulated under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008. Maximum coumarin levels in finished foods: 5 mg/kg in desserts, 10 mg/kg in alcoholic beverages and special caramels, 50 mg/kg in traditional/seasonal baked goods labelled as containing cinnamon. EFSA TDI for coumarin is 0.1 mg/kg body weight/day. Direct addition of coumarin to food is prohibited; exposure must arise solely from naturally present coumarin in cinnamon. No specific limit exists for coumarin in cinnamon as a raw spice under the flavouring regulation.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Cinnamon (Dalchini) regulated under FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011, Regulation 5.8.4; Cassia (Taj) regulated under Regulation 5.8.5. Standards specify purity, moisture content, volatile oil content, and freedom from added colouring matter, foreign matter, and adulterants. FSS Prohibition Regulations require powdered spices to be sold only in packed conditions.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Cinnamon bark and leaf (Ceylon, Chinese, and Saigon types) are listed as GRAS under 21 CFR 182.10 (spices) and 21 CFR 182.20 (natural flavouring substances). Synthetic coumarin as a direct food additive was banned by FDA in 1954 due to animal hepatotoxicity data; coumarin naturally occurring in cinnamon as a spice is not separately prohibited.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Children — Due to lower body weight, children can exceed the EFSA coumarin TDI by consuming as few as 3–4 cinnamon-containing cookies made with cassia cinnamon; substituting Ceylon cinnamon (virtually coumarin-free) substantially reduces this risk.

Liver Disease — Coumarin in cassia cinnamon has been associated with hepatotoxicity at elevated doses; individuals with pre-existing liver conditions should limit cassia cinnamon intake and prefer Ceylon (C. verum) cinnamon.

Pregnancy — High supplemental doses of cinnamon (well beyond normal culinary use) are not recommended during pregnancy due to potential uterine-stimulating effects of cinnamaldehyde and uncertain coumarin safety at pharmacological exposures; normal dietary use is generally considered acceptable.

Diabetes — Concentrated cinnamon supplements marketed for glycaemic control can deliver pharmacological doses of coumarin substantially above the EFSA TDI; diabetic individuals considering such supplements should seek medical advice before use.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Food Additive Status List – Cinnamon & bark & leaf (Ceylon, Chinese, Saigon) – 21 CFR 182.10 and 182.20. fda.gov
2PubMed. Coumarins in Food and Methods of Their Determination, 2020. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. Assessment of Coumarin Levels in Ground Cinnamon Available in the Czech Retail Market, 2012. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 – Chapter 2.9: Salt, Spices, Condiments and Related Products, 2011. fssai.gov.in
5EFSA. Coumarin in flavourings and other food ingredients with flavouring properties – Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC), 2008. efsa.europa.eu

Independently researched5 citations