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Erucic Acid: Sources, Risks & Safety Limits

Erucic acid is a long-chain, monounsaturated fatty acid found naturally in rapeseed oil and mustard plants. High dietary intake is considered a potential health concern.

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Things worth knowing about "Erucic acid"

Erucic acid is a long-chain, monounsaturated fatty acid found naturally in rapeseed oil and mustard plants. High dietary intake is considered a potential health concern.

What is Erucic Acid?

Erucic acid (chemical name: cis-13-docosenoic acid) is a long-chain, monounsaturated fatty acid with 22 carbon atoms and one double bond. It belongs to the omega-9 fatty acid group. In nature, it occurs primarily in plants of the family Brassicaceae (crucifers), especially in the seeds of rapeseed (Brassica napus), mustard (Sinapis alba), and nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). Traditional rapeseed varieties can contain up to 50 % erucic acid in their fatty acid profile. Through selective plant breeding, so-called double-zero (00) rapeseed varieties have been developed with significantly reduced erucic acid content.

Sources and Occurrence

Vegetable oils: Traditional rapeseed oil (old varieties), mustard oil, Walliser rapeseed oil, crambe seed oil (Crambe abyssinica)
Processed foods: Products containing high-erucic acid oils, such as certain Asian mustard oils or traditional Indian cooking oils
Industrial uses: Erucic acid and its derivative erucamide are used industrially as lubricants, plasticizers, and plastic additives

Health Assessment

The health significance of erucic acid has been studied intensively since the 1970s. Animal studies, particularly in rats, showed that high intake of erucic acid can lead to fat deposits in the heart muscle (lipidosis), growth retardation, and potentially structural changes in heart tissue. Whether these effects are equally applicable to humans remains scientifically unresolved, as rats metabolize erucic acid differently than humans.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted a comprehensive risk assessment in 2016 and concluded that erucic acid in the quantities consumed in Europe may pose a potential health risk, particularly for infants and young children. EFSA therefore recommends a tolerable daily intake (TDI: 7 mg/kg body weight per day).

Regulation and Legal Limits

Due to potential health concerns, the erucic acid content in edible oils and foods is legally restricted in the European Union:

For edible oils and fats, a maximum content of 2 % of total fatty acids applies (pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 and subsequent updates).
For infant formula and complementary foods, an even stricter limit of 1 % applies.
Modern rapeseed oil from 00 varieties (also known as canola) contains less than 0.1 % erucic acid and is considered safe.

Erucic Acid in Medicine

In medicine, erucic acid plays a special role in the treatment of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a rare genetic metabolic disorder. The so-called Lorenzo's Oil, a mixture of glyceryl trioleate and glyceryl trierucate, can lower blood levels of very long-chain fatty acids and is used in certain forms of ALD, although its clinical efficacy is limited and debated.

Summary

Erucic acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in high concentrations in certain vegetable oils. While traditional rapeseed varieties contained high amounts, modern breeding has significantly reduced the content. Food safety regulations protect consumers from excessive intake. In well-defined medical contexts, erucic acid also finds therapeutic application.

References

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Erucic acid in feed and food. EFSA Journal 2016;14(11):4593. DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4593
Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs, as last amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/1317.
Moser, M. et al.: Lorenzo's oil therapy for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease, 2006.

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