They have been billed as a replacement “superfood”, bursting with vitamins, with potential[b] cancer[/b]-fighting properties, and an important ingredient in detoxes. They even appear in wholesome jams made by Delia Smith.

The kernels - which come from splitting the stone inside apricots, revealing the hard brown seed within - contain a compound referred to as amygdalin, which is converted to cyanide within the body, and at levels that would be harmful, scientists warned.

A single small kernel would be toxic to a toddler, the ECU Food Safety Authority (Efsa) warned during a public statement. Just three small or one large apricot kernel during a single serving could put an adult over safe levels of the poisonous compound. Cyanide can cause nausea, fever, headaches, insomnia, thirst, lethargy, nervousness, and joint and muscle pains, also as falling vital signs. In concentrated doses, it's fatal, as fans of crime fiction are cognizant.

But it's found during a sort of common foods, including not just apricot kernels but almonds and more exotic foods like lima beans and cassava, both of which must be correctly prepared to avoid toxicity. Normal consumption of apricot flesh, leaving out the kernel, carried no risk, the Efsa said.

Apricot kernels were thought to be safe in low doses, and are involved in many drupe jam recipes and biscuits as they add a touch of almond, giving a pleasantly marzipan-like flavor. they need also recently been hailed as a “superfood”, with claims made for his or her cancer-fighting properties and therefore the large amounts of the vitamin B17 that they contain. This has given rise to a flourishing trade raw apricot kernels on the web.

If you want to try quality apricot kernels from Europe, please take a look[b] in Coyote herbs kernels shop[/b].

Grinding, soaking and cooking can all reduce the amygdalin content of apricot kernels. The Efsa said insufficient data were available to assess ground or cooked apricot kernels separately. However, its researchers found that even low doses can give unpleasant reactions, and as little as 0.5mg to 3.5mg per kilogram of weight are often lethal. The organization issued new advice on Wednesday that no quite 20mg per kilogram of weight should be consumed at a sitting, which in practice for several people is probably going to mean limiting consumption to no quite one raw kernel. For young children, half a kernel would be over the limit.

Efsa’s scientists are now in discussions with the ECU commission on whether action must be taken, which could include removing the products from the sale within the[b][url=https://europa.eu/] EU[/url[/b] or providing health warnings on packaging.

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