Rosemary Extract | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Rosemary extract is a natural antioxidant derived from the dried leaves of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (syn. Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.), whose primary active components—carnosic acid and carnosol—are phenolic diterpenes that inhibit lipid oxidation. It is used in food as an antioxidant preservative to extend shelf life and prevent rancidity, particularly in fat-containing food matrices such as oils, spreads, and meat products.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

EFSA's 2008 assessment found no reason for concern based on negative genotoxicity data and absence of reproductive effects in 90-day studies, though insufficient toxicological data precluded establishing a formal ADI. JECFA established a temporary ADI of 0–0.3 mg/kg body weight per day in 2016, expressed as carnosic acid plus carnosol. Estimated dietary exposures from approved food additive use—at most 0.20 mg/kg bw/day at the 95th percentile in children—are well below this limit, and there is broad safety consensus at food-use levels.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Authorized as E 392 under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (Annexes II and III) in 33 food categories functioning as an antioxidant. The 0.3 mg/kg bw/day value is the JECFA (2016) temporary ADI; EFSA did not independently establish a numerical ADI but concluded no safety concern exists. Refined 2018 EFSA exposure assessment confirmed safety margins are higher than those calculated in 2015.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	FSSAI standards include provisions to add rosemary extract (along with Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Oryzanol, and Green Tea Extract) to vegetable oils as a permitted antioxidant. No standalone maximum level or ADI has been published; INS 392 follows Codex Alimentarius numbering.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	GRAS as spice and natural seasoning under 21 CFR 182.10 and as essential oil, oleoresin, and natural extractive under 21 CFR 182.20. No maximum use level or ADI formally established.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — High supplemental doses of rosemary extract (well above food additive levels) carry traditional contraindications in pregnancy due to potential uterotonic and emmenagogue effects; typical food-additive-level exposure is generally considered safe.

Epilepsy — Rosemary contains camphor-related constituents that at concentrated or supplemental doses may lower the seizure threshold; persons with epilepsy should avoid high-dose rosemary extract supplements while food-level exposure remains low risk.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. 21 CFR Part 182 — Substances Generally Recognized as Safe. accessdata.fda.gov
2PubMed. Rosemary Extract and Essential Oil as Drink Ingredients: An Evaluation of Their Chemical Composition, Genotoxicity, Antimicrobial, Antiviral, and Antioxidant Properties, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3EFSA. Refined exposure assessment of extracts of rosemary (E 392) from its use as food additive, 2018. efsa.europa.eu
4PubMed. Refined exposure assessment of extracts of rosemary (E 392) from its use as food additive, 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5WHO. Rosemary Extract — Chemical and Technical Assessment, 82nd JECFA Meeting, 2016. openknowledge.fao.org

Independently researched5 citations