The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday that it will ban the use of oils or extracts from eucalyptus leaves in food or health care items, with the ban scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

According to the announcement, only trace amounts of eucalyptus extracts will be allowed in food products as a flavor enhancer, but not as a main ingredient.

A document released by the FDA on Wednesday detailing restrictions on the use of eucalyptus-derived ingredients, however, did not specify what would be considered “trace amounts.”

FDA senior specialist Chou Pei-ju (???) said lozenges containing trace amounts of eucalyptus extracts as a flavor enhancer will be allowed, but not if it is the main ingredient, and eucalyptus oil capsules will be completely banned.

The ban is aimed at preventing drug interactions from the substance, which is used as an herbal medicine and as an ingredient in some over-the-counter drugs, she said.

Citing European Union reports, she said consuming large quantities of substances containing eucalyptus extracts over a long period of time could cause toxic reactions, and the plant could trigger hemolytic (anemia) crises in people with G6PD deficiency.

The ban will be consistent with international norms, she added.

Food products containing eucalyptus extracts as ingredients can be sold until their expiration dates if they were circulating in the market before the date the ban took effect, she said.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel