Australian thebaine poisonings from poppy seeds

Poppy seed pods. Photo by Bernard Gagnon

Hoyts, Eumarrah, Gaganis, East West Foods and Basfoods brands have recently recalled batches of poppy seeds resulting in cases of thebaine poisoning around Australia. High thebaine containing Papaver hybrids have been selectively bred for pharmaceutical applications and are not meant to be sold as food, but these hybrids are likely responsible for these poisonings.

Public health messaging has suggested these seeds are more potent in morphine. This is incorrect, this batch of seeds is more potent in thebaine, which does not produce an opiate effect. Messaging went on to suggest the risk is only for large doses of poppy seed tea and that cooking destroys thebaine. This is also incorrect; thebaine poisoning can occur from raw or cooked poppy seeds in standard amounts from common recipes.

Read Pixie Miller and Torsten Weidemann’s detailed brief on this current ethnobotanical emergency.