Lupins and lupin-derived food: Recommendation (EU) 2026/1241 — monitoring of nine quinolizidine alkaloids by LC-MS/MS, limit of quantification about 1 mg/kg in seeds and 0.05 mg/kg in milk
Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/1241 of 11 June 2026, published on 15 June, calls on Member States and food business operators to monitor quinolizidine alkaloids in lupins and lupin-derived food and to investigate the factors leading to high levels. The data are to complement EFSA’s 2019 assessment, which could not fully characterise the risk.
- Minimum analytes: albine, anagyrine, angustifoline, lupanine, isolupanine, multiflorine, 13α-hydroxylupanine, lupinine and sparteine — alkaloids present in the seeds of lupin species relevant for feed and food. Monitoring covers, among others, dry seeds, flour, canned and jarred lupins, bread and fine bakery wares with lupins (including premixes), egg, coffee, milk and meat substitutes, and lupin protein powder for shakes.
- Because of transfer from feed to food of animal origin, in particular milk, food from animals fed with lupin-derived feed materials should be monitored too. The recommended method is LC-MS/MS; the limit of quantification for each alkaloid should be about 1 mg/kg for lupin seeds and lupin-derived food, 0.2 mg/kg for food containing lupins and 0.05 mg/kg for milk and other food of animal origin. Sampling follows Regulation (EC) No 333/2007.
- Data for the previous year go to EFSA by 30 June each year (SSD format) — with the lupin species where known and, for sweet or bitter lupins, a description of the processes applied to the seeds (such as soaking or cooking) and of any processes applied to lupin-derived food to reduce alkaloid content.
- In its 2019 opinion the CONTAM Panel used the lowest single oral effective dose of 0.16 mg sparteine/kg body weight as the reference point for acute exposure and identified none for chronic exposure. The calculated margins of exposure may indicate a risk for some consumers, for example when lupin seeds are eaten without debittering, when debittered seeds are high in alkaloids, or with lupin-based meat imitates.