Nutmeg | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Nutmeg is the dried, aromatic seed of Myristica fragrans Houtt., a tropical evergreen tree native to Indonesia, widely used worldwide as a spice and natural flavoring in baked goods, beverages, and savory dishes. Its characteristic warm, slightly sweet flavor comes from an essential oil containing myristicin, elemicin, eugenol, and safrole.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Nutmeg is FDA GRAS and broadly regarded as safe in normal culinary quantities; however, ingestion of 5 g or more can cause anticholinergic and psychoactive toxicity—including tachycardia, hallucinations, nausea, dry mouth, and tremors—attributed primarily to the compound myristicin. No formal ADI has been established for culinary use, but pregnant and breastfeeding individuals are advised to avoid amounts above typical cooking quantities due to documented antiprogesterone activity and potential reduction of lactation. Chronic toxicity and full genotoxicity data remain limited.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Permitted as a natural spice and flavoring under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code; no specific maximum level for culinary use.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Approved for use as a food ingredient (spice) under EU General Food Law, Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002. Not assigned an E-number (not regulated as a food additive). Subject to aflatoxin B1 maximum limit of 5 μg/kg and total aflatoxins of 10 μg/kg in spices including nutmeg, per Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Regulated as a spice under Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2010, Regulation 5.8.15 (Nutmeg/Jaiphal). Quality standards specify limits on moisture content, volatile oil, extraneous matter, and total ash. FSSAI also governs spice processing safety via a 2018 Food Safety Management System (FSMS) guidance document for spice processors.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Listed as GRAS under 21 CFR 182.10 as a spice and natural seasoning/flavoring; nutmeg oil separately listed as GRAS under 21 CFR 182.20. Nutmeg and mace are confirmed GRAS by FDA with no defined maximum use level for culinary applications.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — In-vitro studies show nutmeg has antiprogesterone activity and its myristicin component has anticholinergic effects; amounts exceeding typical culinary use should be avoided during pregnancy.

Lactation — Anticholinergic properties of myristicin may reduce prolactin-driven lactation, and antiprogesterone activity could theoretically affect milk supply; supplemental or high-dose nutmeg should be avoided while breastfeeding.

Infants — No safety or efficacy data exist for nutmeg in infants, and the toxicity threshold relative to body weight is very low, making any non-culinary exposure potentially dangerous.

Children — Poison center data document a disproportionate rate of unintentional nutmeg poisoning in children under 13, with anticholinergic and psychoactive toxicity occurring at lower absolute doses relative to body weight.

Epilepsy — Case reports associate high-dose nutmeg ingestion with seizures, particularly in individuals with a prior seizure history, suggesting that those with epilepsy should avoid above-culinary nutmeg exposure.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Part 182.10 – Spices and Other Natural Seasonings and Flavorings (GRAS). accessdata.fda.gov
2PubMed. Nutmeg Poisoning With Electrolyte Abnormalities: A Case Report, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. Pharmacological and Therapeutic Potential of Myristicin: A Literature Review, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Nutmeg – Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5PubMed. Nutmeg Poisonings: A Retrospective Review of 10 Years Experience from the Illinois Poison Center, 2001–2011, 2014. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
6FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2010 – Regulation 5.8.15: Nutmeg (Jaiphal), 2010. fssai.gov.in

Independently researched7 citations