Danish food authorities and the nation’s bakers are debating whether cinnamon, a staple of the Danish pastry and one of the quintessential fragrances of a Christmas kitchen, is good for you or not?
Up until now, cinnamon has enjoyed a reputation as a health-giving super spice with claims that it could help to lower blood sugar, fight bacteria, reduce inflammation and even help to treat polycystic ovary syndrome.
But scientists have now discovered that too much of the most commonly used type of cinnamon, cassia, can cause liver damage thanks to high levels of coumarin, a natural ingredient found in the spice. Experts now recommend a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.1mg of coumarin per kg of body weight per day.
As a result, the EU has laid down guidelines for the maximum content of coumarin in foodstuffs – 50mg per kg of dough in traditional or seasonal foods that are only consumed occasionally, and 15mg per kg of dough in what it terms as everyday fine baked goods.
Last month, the Danish food authority ruled that the nation’s famous cinnamon swirls were neither traditional nor seasonal, thus limiting the quantity of cinnamon that bakers are allowed to use, placing the pastry at risk – and sparking a national outcry that could be dubbed the great Danish bake strop.
Read more: The Guardian
Photo credit: Wiki Commons
