About
What it is and where it shows up.
Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) is a perennial shrub native to the Mediterranean region and Middle East, widely used as a culinary spice and flavouring herb in foods, beverages, and herbal teas. Its leaves contain an essential oil rich in thujone, camphor, and cineol, imparting its characteristic aroma and flavour.
Safety summary
The regulatory and scientific consensus.
Sage is considered safe in the culinary amounts commonly found in foods, and larger supplemental amounts have been used safely in short-term research studies. However, common sage (S. officinalis) contains thujone, a naturally occurring neurotoxic constituent that can cause seizures at high doses; sage essential oil is particularly high in thujone and presents the greatest risk. High-dose or prolonged use should be avoided, and the use of sage essential oil as an internal supplement is not recommended due to its concentrated thujone content.
Regulatory landscape
What food-safety regulators have decided.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Approved | Sage leaf is approved as a food and traditional herbal medicinal product in the EU. The 2008 EU Regulation on flavourings deregulated thujone content limits for culinary use. However, for medicinal sage preparations, the EMA/HMPC limits thujone intake to a maximum of 3.0 mg/day for sage leaf preparations (oral use); oral medicinal use should not exceed 2 weeks. Use in children and adolescents under 18 is not recommended in the medicinal context. EFSA's Compendium of Botanicals lists Salvia officinalis as a botanical with substances of potential concern (thujone, camphor).source |
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Sage is permitted as a spice and flavouring agent under FSSAI regulations for use in food products. No specific maximum limit for thujone from culinary sage use has been established by FSSAI.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Approved | Sage (Salvia officinalis) is listed under 21 CFR 182.10 as a spice generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in food. However, thujone as an isolated food additive is banned under 21 CFR 172; sage itself is permitted because natural thujone levels in culinary use are not considered to pose a risk.source |
Who should approach with care
Whose guidance would steer them away.
Pregnancy — Sage's constituent thujone may have harmful effects during pregnancy, as flagged by NCCIH and EMA; high-dose or supplemental sage use (including sage tea as a remedy) should be avoided and a healthcare provider consulted.
Lactation — Little is known about the safety of supplemental sage use while breastfeeding per NCCIH; culinary amounts are likely fine, but medicinal quantities should be avoided until more data are available.
Children — EMA/HMPC's EU herbal monograph on sage leaf explicitly states that use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age is not recommended in a medicinal context due to thujone exposure concerns.
Epilepsy — α-Thujone in sage is a convulsant (GABA-A receptor blocker) and cases of seizures associated with consumption of sage essential oil have been reported; persons with epilepsy or a seizure disorder should avoid high-dose sage and sage essential oil.
Other — Sage may inhibit the CYP2D6 enzyme (per EMA assessment report), potentially interacting with medications metabolised by this pathway; individuals on prescription drugs should consult a doctor before using sage supplements or medicinal preparations.
Research citations
The sources behind this verdict.
- 1FDA. 21 CFR 182.10 – Spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings (GRAS). accessdata.fda.gov
- 2other. NCCIH: Sage – Usefulness and Safety, 2024. nccih.nih.gov
- 3EFSA. EFSA FEEDAP Panel: Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil derived from the leaves of Salvia officinalis L. (sage oil), 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4other. EMA/HMPC Public Statement on the Use of Herbal Medicinal Products Containing Thujone (Revision 1), 2012. ema.europa.eu
- 5PubMed. Determination of the biologically active flavour substances thujone and camphor in foods and medicines containing sage (Salvia officinalis L.), 2011. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 6PubMed. Risk assessment of thujone in foods and medicines containing sage and wormwood – evidence for a need of regulatory changes?, 2010.
Independently researched6 citations