Investigating the effect of different grinding conditions and methods on the concentration of opium alkaloids in poppy seeds as a good reduction practice

Abstract

In recent years, following intoxications and false positive drug tests for poppy seeds, dangerously high concentrations of opium alkaloids (OAs) have been found. For this reason, health authorities are demanding studies to establish effective practices to reduce OAs in these seeds. Grinding, a common culinary process for various recipes, has previously been associated with potential morphine degradation. However, these studies have not established effective grinding conditions to decrease the concentration of all main OAs. Furthermore, due to the large variation in OAs concentration that can occur even in the same bag, this can be a difficult task. In view of the above, this study aimed to evaluate for the first time the impact of different grinding types, varying grinding time or repetitions, to determine any degradation trends of the main OAs present in poppy seeds. As a result, it was obtained a notable 20% degradation of morphine in the second grinding with grinders where the oil content of the seeds is not released, hinting at oil’s protective role against morphine oxidation. Therefore, the choice of grinding method is crucial. However, while acknowledging this, relying solely on this method as a good practice for OAs reduction may be insufficient, as it seems to have minimal impact on other OAs with any of the tested methods and conditions.