Pyrrolizidine alkaloids and tropane alkaloids in cumin

According to Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/2040 of the European Commission amending regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 maximum levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids apply to certain foodstoff from 1 July 2022 on.

The maximum level refers to 35 pyrrolizidine alkaloids as mentioned in the respective regulation. A selection of the 35 pyrrolizidine alkaloids are within the scope of this ring test.

Cumin with spiked and incurred levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and spiked levels of tropane alkaloids is provided as test material. The corresponding unspiked cumin is provided as blank material. The blank material might contain incurred levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

The analytical data are assessed with respect to

the correct identification of the pyrrolizidine alkaloids,
the comparability (z-score), and
the trueness (70 to 120% of the spiked level, as far as applicable).

Reporting limits of at least 2 µg/kg are required for the individual PAs and 1 µg/kg is required as reporting limits of the two TAs hyoscyamine and scopolamine.

Parameters

echimidine, echimidine-NO, europine, europine-NO, heliotrine, heliotrine-NO, intermedine, intermedine-NO, lasiocarpine, lasiocarpine-NO, lycopsamine, lycopsamine-NO, retrorsine, retrorsine-NO, senecionine, senecionine-NO, seneciphylline, seneciphylline-NO, senecivernine, senecivernine-NO, senkirkine, echinatine, echinatine-NO, heliosupine, heliosupine-NO, indicine, indicine-NO, integerrimine, integerrimine-NO, rinderine, rinderine-NO, spartioidine, spartioidine-NO, usaramine, usaramine-NO, sum intermedine/lycopsamine, sum intermedine/lycopsamine/indicine/echinatine/rinderine, sum intermedine-NO/lycopsamine-NO, sum intermedine-NO/lycopsamine-NO/indicine-NO/echinatine-NO/rinderine-NO, sum senecionine/senecivernine, sum senecionine/senecivernine/integerrimine, sum senecionine-NO/seneciverine-NO, sum senecionine-NO/senecivernine-NO/integerrimine-NO, sum echimidine/heliosupine, sum echimidine-NO/heliosupine-NO, sum seneciphylline/spartioidine, sum seneciphylline-NO/spartioidine-NO, sum retrorsine/usaramine, sum retrorsine-NO/usaramine-NO, hyoscyamine, scopolamine

Expected time schedule

Please register before:
01 July 2025

Dispatch of samples:
06 October 2025

Deadline for reporting results:
28 October 2025

Costs of P2507-RT

Ring test and material	Amount	Price per unit
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids and tropane alkaloids in cumin	–	850 €
Test material Cumin, powder, with spiked and incurred levels of PAs and TAs.	50 g	included
Blank material Cumin, powder, might contain incurred levels of PAs and TAs.	50 g	included

Note: PROOF-ACS reserves the right to cancel tests in case of less than ten participants.