Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Turmeric is the dried rhizome of Curcuma longa L., a perennial herb cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions; its principal bioactive constituent, curcumin, is a yellow polyphenolic pigment used as a natural food colorant, spice, and flavouring agent. It is widely used in dairy products, beverages, cereals, mustard, pickles, confectionery, ice cream, sausages, and bakery products.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

JECFA and EFSA have both established an ADI of 0–3 mg/kg body weight per day for curcumin; at normal dietary spice intake, curcumin exposure represents less than 7% of that ADI for adults, and curcumin is agreed by both bodies to be neither carcinogenic nor genotoxic. High-dose curcumin supplements, particularly when formulated with bioavailability enhancers such as piperine, have been associated with cases of acute cholestatic hepatitis and may have altered toxicokinetic profiles not covered by the food-use ADI. Children aged 1–10 may exceed the ADI at maximum food additive use levels in some countries, and contamination or adulteration of commercial turmeric with lead chromate represents an additional real-world hazard.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Approved as food colour E100 (curcumin). Maximum permitted levels range from 20 to 500 mg/kg depending on food category and 100–200 mg/L for beverages (Directive 94/36/EC). ADI confirmed at 3 mg/kg bw/day by EFSA ANS Panel in 2010; intake estimates for children aged 1–10 can exceed the ADI at maximum use levels in several Member States.source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) / Food Standards Scotland (FSS) (United Kingdom)	Approved	Turmeric as a culinary spice is approved; curcumin (E100) retains approval as a food colour with the ADI of 0–3 mg/kg bw/day. However, turmeric oleoresin extracts and pure curcumin powder in food supplements are considered novel foods by the FSA's Novel Foods Team, requiring authorisation under the Novel Foods Regulation before being placed on the UK or EU market. COT (2024) concluded the food ADI may not be appropriate for high-bioavailability supplement formulations.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Curcumin or turmeric is explicitly listed as a permitted natural colour at GMP levels under Appendix A of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Turmeric is also a long-recognised traditional spice regulated under FSSAI spice standards (IS 3576).source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Children — EFSA found that intake estimates for children aged 1–10 at maximum food additive use levels can exceed the ADI of 3 mg/kg bw/day in several European countries, particularly via flavoured drinks and fine bakery products.

Liver Disease — High-dose curcumin supplements, particularly those combining curcumin with piperine or other bioavailability enhancers, have been linked to 21 documented cases of acute cholestatic hepatitis; individuals with pre-existing liver disease face elevated risk.

Pregnancy — The JECFA ADI was derived from a multigenerational reproductive toxicity study in rats; high supplemental doses of curcumin should be avoided during pregnancy, though culinary use as a spice at normal food levels is considered safe.

Heart Disease — Curcumin may interact with anticoagulant medications (e.g., warfarin), cancer drugs, and immunosuppressants, as noted by the UK COT; patients on these therapies should seek medical advice before consuming curcumin supplements.

— Individuals with bile duct obstruction or gallbladder disease should avoid turmeric food supplements, as curcumin's choleretic properties may exacerbate biliary conditions, per UK COT guidance.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. GRAS Notice GRN 822 Agency Response Letter – Curcumin. fda.gov
2other. COT Overarching Statement on the Potential Risk to Human Health of Turmeric and Curcumin, 2024. cot.food.gov.uk
3PubMed. Turmeric and Its Major Compound Curcumin on Health: Bioactive Effects and Safety Profiles for Food, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnological and Medicinal Applications, 2020. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4EFSA. Refined exposure assessment for curcumin (E 100), 2014. efsa.europa.eu
5EFSA. Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of curcumin (E 100) as a food additive, 2010. efsa.europa.eu
6WHO. JECFA Evaluation of Curcumin — WHO Food Additives Contaminants JECFA Database, 2004. apps.who.int

Independently researched6 citations