About
What it is and where it shows up.
Rosemary water is the aqueous distillate or water-soluble fraction obtained from Salvia rosmarinus (formerly Rosmarinus officinalis) leaves, typically rich in rosmarinic acid and gallocatechin. It is used in food and beverages as a natural flavouring, antioxidant preservative, and antimicrobial agent.
Safety summary
The regulatory and scientific consensus.
Rosemary and its water-soluble extracts are broadly recognized as safe at typical food-use levels; genotoxicity testing (Ames test) on rosemary extracts and essential oils has not revealed mutagenic activity. JECFA established a temporary ADI of 0–0.3 mg/kg body weight per day for rosemary extract expressed as carnosic acid plus carnosol, though water-soluble fractions are predominantly rosmarinic acid. High-dose use may act as a uterine stimulant and should be avoided in pregnancy beyond culinary amounts.
Regulatory landscape
What food-safety regulators have decided.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) (South Korea) | Banned | Addition of rosemary extract to food is not permitted in South Korea; it is considered an unauthorized antioxidant, necessitating validated analytical detection methods.source |
| FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia) | Approved | Rosemary extract (inclusive of water-soluble forms) approved by FSANZ under Application A1254 (approved 2024) for use as a food additive antioxidant in several food categories in Australia and New Zealand. Conservative 100% market penetration assumption used in dietary exposure assessment did not indicate a public health and safety risk.source |
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Approved | Authorised as E 392 under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annexes II and III. ADI of 0–0.3 mg/kg bw/day expressed as carnosic acid plus carnosol, established by JECFA in 2016. EFSA refined exposure assessment published 2018. EU maximum residue levels for rosemary extract range from ~30–250 µg/mL depending on food type.source |
| MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Japan) | Approved | Rosemary extract is listed in the Japanese Existing Additives List as a permitted food additive.source |
Who should approach with care
Whose guidance would steer them away.
Pregnancy — Rosemary at supraculinary (medicinal/concentrated) doses has historically been associated with uterotonic effects; pregnant individuals should avoid concentrated rosemary water preparations beyond normal culinary use, consistent with traditional herbal medicine cautions.
Epilepsy — Rosemary essential oil and concentrated extracts contain camphor and eucalyptol (1,8-cineole), compounds with known CNS stimulant properties that may lower seizure threshold; individuals with epilepsy should exercise caution with concentrated rosemary water products.
Infants — EFSA refined exposure data showed children aged 3–9 years had the highest estimated exposures to rosemary extract (E 392) relative to body weight; concentrated rosemary water is not recommended for infants or very young children outside of trace flavouring amounts.
Other — Individuals on anticoagulant medications (e.g., warfarin) should consult a doctor before consuming concentrated rosemary water preparations, as rosemary constituents may theoretically influence platelet aggregation at high doses.
Research citations
The sources behind this verdict.
- 1FDA. FDA 21 CFR 182.10 and 182.20 – GRAS Spices, Seasonings, and Natural Extractives. accessdata.fda.gov
- 2other. Approval Report – Application A1254: Rosemary extract as a food additive, 2024. foodstandards.gov.au
- 3PubMed. Rosemary Extract and Essential Oil as Drink Ingredients: An Evaluation of Their Chemical Composition, Genotoxicity, Antimicrobial, Antiviral, and Antioxidant Properties, 2021. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4PubMed. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus): Health-Promoting Benefits and Food Preservative Properties, 2021. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5EFSA. Refined exposure assessment of extracts of rosemary (E 392) from its use as food additive, 2018. efsa.europa.eu
- 6WHO. Rosemary Extract — Chemical and Technical Assessment, 82nd JECFA, 2016. openknowledge.fao.org
Independently researched6 citations