Levels of estragole in fennel teas marketed in Austria and assessment of dietary exposure

Abstract

Levels of estragole in fennel teas (n = 42) on the Austrian market and the associated dietary exposure were assessed in this study. The estimated daily exposure from consumption of fennel teas ranged from 0.25 to 5.04 μg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹, 0.32 to 6.42 μg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹, and 0.15 to 2.93 μg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ for children, women, and men, respectively. Daily estragole exposures for infants were 0.008–20.78 μg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹. Despite MOE values are above 10,000 for nearly half of the fennel teas analyzed, there are still MOEs below this value indicating a potential risk for human health and a priority for risk management. However, fennel teas are generally consumed only for short periods of gastrointestinal disorders. Estimated daily intakes may, therefore, be conservative and tend to overestimate the potential risk for human health.

Keywords:

• Estragole
• fennel tea
• dietary exposure
• risk assessment

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health and the Food Control Authority who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report that they have no conflicts of interest.