Nutmeg Powder | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Nutmeg powder is the dried and finely ground seed kernel of Myristica fragrans, a tropical evergreen tree native to Indonesia. It is widely used as a culinary spice for its warm, sweet, and slightly nutty aromatic flavour in both savoury and sweet food preparations.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

At normal culinary amounts (well below 1 g), nutmeg powder is safe and is GRAS-listed in the United States. However, consumption of large doses (approximately 5 g or more) can cause 'nutmeg intoxication'—characterised by hallucinations, tachycardia, nausea, dry mouth, and agitation—primarily attributed to the phenylpropanoid compound myristicin. Pregnant women, infants, and individuals with liver or neurological conditions are particularly advised to exercise caution, as myristicin may exert uterotonic, hepatotoxic, and neuroactive effects at elevated doses.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	EFSA classifies nutmeg as a spice seed (not a nut). It is permitted as a flavouring and spice under EU food law; no E-number is assigned. Regulated under Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 for contaminant limits.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Nutmeg (Jaiphal) is recognised as one of the most important tropical spice crops and is regulated under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Quality and safety standards (contaminants, microbiological limits) apply per FSS Act, 2006. Listed as a spice by the Spices Board of India.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Listed as GRAS under 21 CFR 182.10 as a spice and natural seasoning/flavoring; conditions of use: Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). No maximum intake limit established for culinary use.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — Myristicin in nutmeg has reported uterotonic and potential embryotoxic properties at elevated doses, making consumption beyond small culinary quantities inadvisable during pregnancy.

Infants — Infants have a very low body weight relative to toxic dose thresholds; even small amounts of nutmeg can produce serious myristicin-induced neurological and cardiovascular effects.

Children — Children's lower body weight significantly reduces the margin between a culinary dose and a toxic dose of myristicin, increasing the risk of intoxication.

Liver Disease — Myristicin undergoes hepatic metabolism and high-dose exposure may impose additional metabolic stress on individuals with pre-existing liver conditions.

Epilepsy — Myristicin possesses neuroactive and psychoactive properties that may interact with seizure thresholds, warranting caution in individuals with epilepsy or seizure disorders.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. 21 CFR Part 182, Subpart A – Spices and Other Natural Seasonings and Flavorings (GRAS). ecfr.gov
2FSSAI. Guidance Document: Food Safety Management System (FSMS) for Spice Processing, 2018. fssai.gov.in
3other. European Parliament Parliamentary Question E-001554/2014: Public health standards for nutmeg under Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, 2014. europarl.europa.eu
4PubMed. Low cost, high risk: accidental nutmeg intoxication, 2005. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5PubMed. Toxicological evaluation of myristicin, 1997. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations