FSAP Chem TS - 2012-13 Coumarin in cinnamon and cinnamon-containing foods - TS020 - Open Data

The Food Safety Action Plan (FSAP) aims to modernize and enhance Canada's food safety system. As part of the FSAP enhanced surveillance initiative, targeted surveys are used to generate baseline data in order to evaluate various foods for specific hazards. The main objectives of this targeted survey were to generate baseline surveillance data on the level of coumarin in cinnamon and cinnamon-containing products available on the Canadian retail market, and to compare the levels of coumarin detected with the results of the 2011-2012 FSAP Targeted Survey on coumarin. Coumarin is a natural, fragrant compound found in plants such as cinnamon, tonka beans, and sweet clover. Coumarin was utilized as a flavouring agent in the food and perfume industry for many years until evidence related to its toxicological properties and potential adverse effects to the liver (which are based on model studies carried out on rats and dogs) led to its use in food being discontinued or banned in a number of countries, such as Canada and the United States. The direct addition of coumarin to food is not permitted in Canada. It is understood that low exposure to coumarin from natural sources is expected and…

Publisher

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Resources

1

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-04-08