Too much cinnamon may violate the law
By Sidsel Overgaard, NPR
Who doesn’t love a Danish pastry?
And in Denmark, they like their pastries sprinkled with plenty of cinnamon.
But now, Denmark’s bakers are being told that their time-honored recipe for the beloved kanelsnegle βor cinnamon swirl β may be unhealthy and against the law. Recent testing by the Danish government found that a large number of Denmark’s beloved rolls had too much cinnamon β more than the recommended limits set by the European Union.
Too much cinnamon? Yes, there is such a thing. Actually, the concern here is coumarin, a naturally occurring ingredient found in Cassia cinnamon β the most common variety of the spice sold in Europe and the U.S. In high-enough doses, coumarin can cause liver damage in a small group of sensitive individuals.