About
What it is and where it shows up.
Mace powder is the ground dried aril (lacy outer covering) of the nutmeg seed from Myristica fragrans Houtt., prized globally as a warm, aromatic spice. It is used as a flavouring in baked goods, sauces, meat products, and traditional cuisines, and is distinct from but botanically related to nutmeg.
Safety summary
The regulatory and scientific consensus.
Mace is safe as a culinary spice at typical dietary amounts and holds FDA GRAS status. It contains the alkenylbenzenes myristicin, safrole, and elemicin; at high doses (well above culinary use), myristicin inhibits monoamine oxidase leading to serotonin toxicity and produces a psychedelic amphetamine-like metabolite (MMDA), causing anticholinergic intoxication. Pregnant and lactating women, infants, and children are advised to avoid amounts exceeding normal food-flavouring levels.
Regulatory landscape
What food-safety regulators have decided.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Approved | Permitted as a natural spice and flavouring ingredient for human food under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings. Note: safrole, a constituent of mace essential oil, is separately banned as an isolated food additive in the EU; mace as a whole spice at culinary levels is not restricted. EFSA FEEDAP Panel (2023) assessed nutmeg/mace oil separately for animal feed use.source |
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Regulated under FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, Chapter 2.9 (Salt, Spices, Condiments and Related Products). Standards cover Myristica nalabarica/Fatua (Bombay mace) and Myristica argenea (Wild mace). Product must exhibit characteristic aromatic flavour and be free from added colouring matter, mould, insects, and rodent contamination.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Approved | Mace and mace oil are listed as GRAS under 21 CFR Part 182.10 (Spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings). No numerical ADI established; safe at culinary use levels.source |
Who should approach with care
Whose guidance would steer them away.
Pregnancy — Mace in amounts above typical food-flavouring levels should be avoided during pregnancy; myristicin has demonstrated in-vitro antiprogesterone activity and anticholinergic effects that may pose fetal risk at high doses.
Lactation — Published clinical guidance (PMID:30000898) advises against consuming nutmeg and mace above food-flavouring amounts during breastfeeding, as anticholinergic effects may suppress lactation and constituents may transfer into breast milk.
Infants — High-dose mace ingestion caused reversible coma in a child (PMC11754422); infants are highly vulnerable to myristicin toxicity and should not receive mace beyond incidental trace dietary exposure.
Children — Myristicin toxicity is disproportionately severe in children; culinary quantities are generally safe, but accidental ingestion of large amounts warrants prompt medical attention.
Other — Patients on monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) drugs should consult a doctor before using mace liberally, as myristicin also inhibits MAO and may potentiate drug interactions leading to serotonin syndrome.
Research citations
The sources behind this verdict.
- 1other. Summary of Data for Chemical Selection: Myristicin (CAS No. 607-91-0). ntp.niehs.nih.gov
- 2PubMed. Mace Poisoning: Accidental Toxic Ingestion in a Child Leading to a Reversible Coma, 2025. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 3EFSA. Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil from the seeds of Myristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg oil) for all animal species (FEFANA asbl), 2023. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4PubMed. Nutmeg, 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 — Chapter 2.9: Salt, Spices, Condiments and Related Products, 2011. fssai.gov.in
Independently researched5 citations