About
Long pepper powder is the dried, ground fruit of Piper longum (family Piperaceae), a perennial shrub native to the Indo-Malaya region widely used as a culinary spice and preservative. It is used to impart pungency and flavour in food, driven by its key alkaloid piperine, and has a long history of use in Ayurvedic and other traditional medicine systems.
Safety summary
Long pepper powder is generally recognised as safe when used in normal culinary amounts; a genotoxicity study confirmed no genotoxic property and supported its safety for consumption. Its key bioactive compound, piperine, can interact with multiple drugs by increasing their bioavailability, which may pose risks for individuals on certain medications. Animal studies at high isolated-piperine bolus doses indicate possible hepatic changes and reproductive effects, though dietary exposure levels from spice use are well below adverse thresholds.
Regulatory landscape
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Approved | Long pepper is used as a spice and flavouring in EU member states. EFSA has flagged that isolated piperine in concentrated supplement form warrants safety assessment, but culinary use of the spice is not restricted. No harmonised maximum level established.source |
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Recognised as a permitted spice under FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, Chapter 2.9 covering salt, spices, condiments and related products. No specific ADI set; must comply with contaminant and quality standards.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Approved | Piper longum (long pepper) is listed in FDA's GRAS databases as a spice and natural flavouring. Its key alkaloid piperine has FEMA GRAS number 2909. No maximum daily intake established for culinary use.source |
Who should approach with care
Research citations
- 1FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations – Chapter 2.9: Salt, Spices, Condiments and Related Products, 2024. fssai.gov.in
- 2PubMed. Tissue-specific variations of piperine in ten populations of Piper longum L.: bioactivities and toxicological profile, 2024. pmc.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. Safety Aspects of the Use of Isolated Piperine Ingested as a Bolus, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5PubMed. Determination and risk characterisation of bio-active piperine in black pepper and selected food containing black pepper consumed in Korea, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 6PubMed. Overview for various aspects of the health benefits of Piper longum linn. fruit, 2011.
