Mint Leaves | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Mint leaves are the fresh or dried foliage of Mentha species (primarily Mentha piperita and Mentha spicata), valued for their characteristic cooling, aromatic flavour derived from menthol and other volatile terpenoids. They are widely used as a culinary herb, garnish, and flavouring agent in beverages, confectionery, sauces, chutneys, and cooked dishes across global cuisines.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Mint leaves are broadly safe at customary culinary doses with no established Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for the whole herb. High medicinal doses of concentrated peppermint oil—the essential-oil extract—have been associated with heartburn, nausea, and rarely hepatotoxicity. Menthol, the primary bioactive constituent, can provoke reflex apnoea and respiratory distress if applied near the mouth or nose of infants, making menthol-containing mint preparations contraindicated for young children per WHO guidance.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Mint leaves are permitted as a whole-food herb under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. No specific maximum use level is prescribed for culinary applications.source
Health Canada (Canada)	Approved	Mint is permitted as a natural herb/spice for use in food under the Food and Drug Regulations. Peppermint oil is also permitted as a flavouring agent; no ADI has been set for culinary quantities of whole mint leaves.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Mint preparations are included in the EU Union List of permitted food flavourings under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008. Whole mint leaves used directly as a food/herb are freely permitted under general EU food law; no E-number is assigned to the whole leaf.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Mint (Pudina; Mentha spicata and Mentha piperita) is recognised on the Spices Board of India list. Per FSSAI Health Supplements & Nutraceuticals Regulations, spices on the Spices Board list may be used as food ingredients or in nutraceutical formulations without separate product approval; specific health-benefit claims require prior FSSAI approval.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Infants — Menthol in mint can provoke reflex apnoea and serious respiratory distress in infants and young children; the WHO Folium Menthae Piperitae monograph and clinical case literature specifically contraindicate menthol-containing products for this age group.

Pregnancy — High medicinal/supplemental doses of peppermint have historically been used as a uterine stimulant and emmenagogue; culinary quantities are generally regarded as safe, but concentrated mint extracts or supplements should be avoided during pregnancy.

Lactation — High-dose peppermint has traditionally been cited as potentially reducing milk supply; culinary use is considered low risk, but concentrated mint supplements are not recommended during breastfeeding without medical guidance.

Ibs — While encapsulated peppermint oil is a recognised IBS therapy, raw mint can relax the lower esophageal sphincter and may worsen gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) symptoms; patients with overlapping IBS-GERD should seek medical advice before high-frequency consumption.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Part 182.10 – Spices and Other Natural Seasonings and Flavorings That Are Generally Recognized as Safe. ecfr.gov
2FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016 – Schedule of Permitted Plants and Botanicals, 2018. fssai.gov.in
3EFSA. Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on Flavourings and Certain Food Ingredients with Flavouring Properties, 2008. food.ec.europa.eu
4PubMed. A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of peppermint tea (Mentha piperita L.), 2006. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5WHO. WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants, Vol. 2 – Folium Menthae Piperitae (Peppermint Leaf), 2002. who.int

Independently researched5 citations