Hops | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Hops are the dried, resinous female flower cones of the perennial vine Humulus lupulus (family Cannabaceae), used primarily to impart bitterness, aroma, and flavour to beer and other foods. Their key bioactive constituents include alpha-acids (humulones), beta-acids (lupulones), volatile essential oils, tannins, and the phytoestrogen 8-prenylnaringenin.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Hops are broadly considered safe for the general adult population with a long history of food use and no established Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI); no IARC carcinogenicity classification applies and no clinically apparent liver injury has been reported. The phytoestrogen 8-prenylnaringenin is one of the most potent plant-derived estrogens known in vitro, raising theoretical concerns for hormone-sensitive conditions at high supplemental doses. At typical food/beverage intake levels, no significant regulatory safety concern has been identified by FDA, EFSA, or WHO/JECFA.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	EFSA FEEDAP Panel assessed supercritical CO2 extract of Humulus lupulus L. flos (Beta Rich Hop Extract) under Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 as a sensory/flavouring additive for all animal species at up to 50 mg/kg complete feed. Hop-derived flavourings used in food are regulated as natural flavourings under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008; no specific EU food-use restriction or ADI established for whole hops or hop extract used in brewing.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations explicitly permit hops or hop extracts in beer manufacture to impart bitter taste and flavour. FSSAI's food additives manual excludes hops from the definition of food additives, treating them as a natural brewing ingredient. No quantitative maximum level or ADI established.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Hops (whole), hops extract, and hops oil are listed in FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory as FEMA GRAS flavouring substances under 21 CFR 172.510; used in conjunction with flavours and as flavouring adjuncts. No quantitative limit specified; use at GMP levels.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — Hops contain the potent phytoestrogen 8-prenylnaringenin; high supplemental doses could theoretically exert hormonal effects, and safety of concentrated hop extracts during pregnancy has not been adequately established.

Lactation — Phytoestrogenic constituents in hops may pass into breast milk; safety data for nursing mothers consuming concentrated hop preparations are insufficient.

Infants — Hops are typically consumed via beer (an alcoholic beverage) and high-dose herbal preparations; neither is appropriate for infants, and phytoestrogenic compounds pose theoretical developmental risks.

Children — Concentrated hop extracts and supplements are not evaluated for paediatric safety; phytoestrogen content warrants caution in pre-pubertal children.

Other — Individuals with hormone-sensitive conditions (e.g., estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, uterine cancer, endometriosis) should consult a doctor before using concentrated hop supplements, due to the phytoestrogenic activity of 8-prenylnaringenin documented in the pharmacognosy literature.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Substances Added to Food – Hops, Extract (Humulus lupulus L.). hfpappexternal.fda.gov
2FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018 – FSSAI Compendium, 2021. fssai.gov.in
3EFSA. Safety and efficacy of a supercritical carbon dioxide extract of Humulus lupulus L. flos when used as a feed flavouring for all animal species, 2018. efsa.europa.eu
4PubMed. Anticancer Activity and Mechanism of Xanthohumol: A Prenylated Flavonoid From Hops (Humulus lupulus L.), 2018. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5other. LiverTox: Hops (Humulus lupulus) – NIH National Library of Medicine, 2018. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
6PubMed. The pharmacognosy of Humulus lupulus L. (hops) with an emphasis on estrogenic properties, 2007. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched6 citations