About
What it is and where it shows up.
Lakadong turmeric is a premium cultivar of Curcuma longa grown in the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, India, prized for its exceptionally high curcuminoid content (up to 7–8.1%) compared to common commercial varieties (~2–5%). It is used as a natural yellow-orange colourant, flavouring spice, and traditional medicinal ingredient in foods and dietary supplements.
Safety summary
The regulatory and scientific consensus.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and its active curcuminoids are broadly considered safe for the general adult population at culinary doses, with JECFA and EFSA establishing an ADI of 0–3 mg/kg body weight per day for curcumin (E100). Highly bioavailable curcumin supplement formulations have been associated with rare cases of liver injury and should be used with caution. No significant genotoxicity or carcinogenicity concerns have been identified at normal dietary intake levels.
Regulatory landscape
What food-safety regulators have decided.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Approved | Curcumin is authorised as food colour E100 under Directive 94/36/EC; maximum permitted levels range from 20 to 500 mg/kg in food and 100–200 mg/L in beverages. EFSA re-confirmed the JECFA ADI of 0–3 mg/kg bw/day in its 2010 re-evaluation. Lakadong turmeric itself is the whole spice; E100 designation applies to its extracted curcuminoid colouring fraction.source |
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is regulated as a spice and natural colourant under FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Lakadong is specifically recognised as a high-curcumin cultivar from Meghalaya; no cultivar-specific ADI is established separately from general turmeric standards.source |
| FSA / COT (United Kingdom) | Approved | The UK's Committee on Toxicity (COT) and Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirm the JECFA/EFSA ADI of 0–3 mg/kg bw for curcumin (E100). High-concentration turmeric supplements and oleoresin extracts are considered novel foods in the UK requiring authorisation under Novel Food Regulations if not in significant use before May 1997.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Approved | Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is listed as GRAS under 21 CFR 182.10 (spices) and 21 CFR 73.600 (colour). Curcuminoids purified from turmeric rhizome have also been affirmed GRAS through scientific procedures (GRN 000686, 2017). The Lakadong variety is not separately regulated; it falls under the general turmeric/curcumin GRAS determination. |
Who should approach with care
Whose guidance would steer them away.
Pregnancy — NCCIH notes that use of turmeric supplements during pregnancy may be unsafe; culinary amounts in food are generally considered acceptable but high-dose supplemental forms should be avoided.
Lactation — NCCIH notes that little is known about the safety of turmeric in amounts greater than those commonly found in food during breastfeeding, warranting caution with concentrated supplements.
Liver Disease — NCCIH and regulatory reviews note that highly bioavailable curcumin supplement formulations have been associated with liver damage in some individuals; those with pre-existing liver disease should consult a doctor before consuming concentrated Lakadong turmeric extracts or supplements.
Infants — EFSA's refined exposure assessment found that high-level curcumin intake in toddlers and children may approach or exceed the ADI, suggesting that concentrated curcumin-rich products are not appropriate for very young children.
Gout — Turmeric contains moderate oxalate levels; individuals with a history of calcium-oxalate kidney stones or gout should limit concentrated turmeric intake, though culinary use is generally safe.
Research citations
The sources behind this verdict.
- 1other. NCCIH: Turmeric — Usefulness and Safety. nccih.nih.gov
- 2PubMed. Purification and characterization of pure curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin from North-East India Lakadong turmeric (Curcuma longa), 2023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 3FDA. GRAS Notice No. GRN 000686 – Curcumin from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), 2017. fda.gov
- 4PubMed. EST-SSR marker revealed effective over biochemical and morphological scepticism towards identification of specific turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) cultivars, 2017. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5EFSA. Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of curcumin (E 100) as a food additive, 2010. efsa.europa.eu
Independently researched5 citations