Long Pepper | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Long pepper (Piper longum, family Piperaceae) is a perennial shrub native to the Indo-Malaya region, whose dried fruits are used as a culinary spice and preservative with a pungent, complex flavour profile. It is also deeply embedded in Ayurvedic and other traditional medicinal systems, where it is valued for its bioactive alkaloids piperine and piperlongumine.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Long pepper is broadly considered safe for the general adult population when consumed as a food spice; no formal ADI has been established by EFSA, FDA, or JECFA for the whole fruit. Its alkaloid piperlongumine has shown embryotoxic effects in zebrafish studies at pharmacological doses, suggesting potential developmental concerns at high supplemental (non-culinary) doses. No IARC carcinogenicity classification exists for long pepper, and it is not banned or restricted in any major jurisdiction.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Long pepper is permitted as a culinary spice/herb across EU member states. No specific E-number or maximum use level has been assigned. EFSA has not issued a dedicated safety opinion on Piper longum as a food additive; it is treated as a traditional food.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	FSSAI has established identity and quality standards for Pipli/Long pepper (Piper longum) under the Spices and Condiments category. Permitted for use as a spice and condiment in food.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Pepper species with a long history of common use in food in the United States are considered GRAS under 21 CFR Part 182. Long pepper is also permitted as a dietary ingredient (herb or other botanical) under DSHEA when sold as a dietary supplement.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — Piperlongumine, a key alkaloid in long pepper, caused developmental toxicity and cardiac abnormalities in zebrafish embryos at pharmacological concentrations (PMID:37167734); high-dose supplemental (non-culinary) use during pregnancy should be avoided, while typical culinary amounts are generally considered low-risk.

Infants — Long pepper's pungent alkaloids (piperine, piperlongumine) are potent bioactive compounds not appropriate for infant diets; no safety data supports use in infants.

Ibs — Piperine and related alkaloids in long pepper can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, potentially exacerbating symptoms in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome.

Liver Disease — High-dose long pepper extracts have hepatomodulatory effects in preclinical studies; individuals with pre-existing liver disease should consult a physician before using supplemental (non-culinary) doses (PMID:36256521).

Other — Long pepper has been traditionally noted to act as a contraceptive in some ethnobotanical records (PMID:36256521); individuals trying to conceive should exercise caution with high supplemental doses.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FSSAI. FSSAI Standards for Spices and Condiments – Pipli/Long pepper (Piper longum). fssai.gov.in
2PubMed. Piperlongumine treatment impacts heart and liver development and causes developmental delay in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos, 2023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. Piper longum L.: A comprehensive review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and health-promoting activities, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. A census of P. longum's phytochemicals and their network pharmacological evaluation for identifying novel drug-like molecules against various diseases, with a special focus on neurological disorders, 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5PubMed. Overview for various aspects of the health benefits of Piper longum linn. fruit, 2011. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations