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1/11/14

EU to Denmark: Drop that cinnamon roll! Or at least the spice level - by Carol J. Williams

The European Union "nanny state" strikes again, this time at a breakfast favorite in Denmark.
New EU food safety rules limit the amount of cinnamon that can be used in pastries because of new concern about excessive consumption of a naturally occurring trace chemical compound called coumarin.

Studies have linked high coumarin intake to liver damage in a small number of sensitive people, the Euro Weekly News reported.

EU rules for "everyday fine baked goods" set the amount of traditional cassia cinnamon to 15 mg per kilogram [.0005 ounce per 2.2 pounds] of dough for the coiled buns known as kanelsnegler in Denmark, kanelbullar in Sweden and skillingsboller in Norway.

But only the Danish cinnamon rolls are subject to the spice content regulation. Sweden has designated the pastry as "traditional and seasonal" because of its high popularity  at Christmas and during winter months, which allows more than three times the cinnamon content -- 50 mg [.002 ounce] -- on the presumption that fewer are consumed over the course of a year. Norway, which isn't an EU member, reacted to the new coumarin concern by advising that "heavy users of cinnamon should limit their intake."

Read more: EU to Denmark: Drop that cinnamon roll! Or at least the spice level - latimes.com

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