Dried Basil | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Dried basil is the dehydrated leaf of Ocimum basilicum L., a culinary herb in the Lamiaceae family widely used to season foods. It is valued for its aromatic volatile compounds—including linalool, eucalyptol, and estragole—that impart characteristic flavour and fragrance to a broad range of dishes.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Dried basil is GRAS-affirmed by the FDA and broadly regarded as safe for the general adult population at culinary intake levels, with no established ADI. It naturally contains estragole, a compound of interest at high (non-dietary) doses, but exposure from normal food use is not considered a safety concern by regulatory authorities. Microbial contamination (Salmonella) is the primary documented food-safety hazard for the dried product in commerce.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Recognised as a permitted herb/spice under FSANZ Food Standards Code; no numeric ADI for culinary use.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a traditional food herb approved for use across the EU; no numeric ADI set for culinary dried herb use. EFSA separately evaluated basil tincture as a feed additive for animals (2025 opinion), which is distinct from human food use.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Permitted as a spice/herb under Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations; mycotoxin and aflatoxin limits in spices are under active review by FSSAI.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Listed as GRAS under 21 CFR 182.10 (spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings); no numeric ADI assigned. Dried intact basil is also recognised as within the farm definition under FDA FSMA risk assessment scope.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Lactation — Basil contains estragole and many sources recommend avoiding medicinal-dose basil supplements during breastfeeding due to the lack of safety data, though food-level amounts are generally considered safe (LactMed, PMID:30000886).

Pregnancy — High (supplemental/medicinal) doses of basil have not been adequately studied in pregnancy; culinary amounts are considered safe but concentrated basil preparations should be avoided.

Infants — No safety data exist on basil excretion into breastmilk or direct infant exposure; medicinal doses are not recommended for infants (LactMed, PMID:30000886).

Ibs — Strong culinary spices and aromatic herbs including basil may aggravate gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals with irritable bowel syndrome due to volatile oil content.

Other — Individuals on anticoagulant therapy (e.g., warfarin) should be aware that basil contains vitamin K, which at large (non-culinary) quantities may interact with blood-thinning medications.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. FDA GRAS Food Substances: Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). hfpappexternal.fda.gov
2EFSA. Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of a tincture derived from the leaves of Ocimum basilicum L. (basil tincture) for use in all animal species, 2025. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3FDA. Microbiological Surveillance Sampling FY17-21: Fresh Herbs (Cilantro, Basil & Parsley), 2024. fda.gov
4PubMed. Basil — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5PubMed. Postharvest Microwave Drying of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.): The Influence of Treatments on the Quality of Dried Products, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations