Quinolizidine Alkaloids Analysis in Food and Feed
Quinolizidine Alkaloids in Food and Feed
Quinolizidine alkaloids are secondary plant metabolites that serve as natural defense compounds, protecting plants against herbivores and other threats. They are synthesized primarily in lupins from the amino acid lysine and are stored throughout the plant, including in the seeds. To date, approximately 170 quinolizidine alkaloids have been identified.
Among the most toxicologically relevant are sparteine, lupanine and its derivatives (e.g., 13-hydroxylupanine), lupinine, angustifoline, cytisine, and multiflorine. (Study on the Occurrence of Quinolizidine Alkaloids in Lupin Flour and Lupins in Products from the German Retail Market)
Foods not produced from lupin seeds may also be contaminated. It has been demonstrated that quinolizidine alkaloids can be transferred into cow’s milk, and consequently into a wide range of dairy products, when livestock are fed feed containing high concentrations of these alkaloids.
Lupins: a trend in plant-based nutrition
Due to their high-quality protein, essential amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids, lupin seeds are a valuable component of vegetarian nutrition concepts. They have developed into a popular food trend. Beyond their use in food production—such as in flour, meat and dairy alternatives, spreads, pasta, and more—lupins are also used as animal feed.
A distinction is made between wild-growing “bitter lupins” (higher alkaloid content) and cultivated “sweet lupins” (lower alkaloid content). A bitter taste in lupin seeds or products made from them can serve as an indicator of quinolizidine alkaloids. Pre-treatment of the seeds (“debittering”) can reduce the quinolizidine alkaloid content in the lupins.
Quinolizidine Alkaloids in Lupins – An Emerging Food Safety Risk
Quinolizidine alkaloids in lupins represent an emerging food safety risk in light of the growing use of plant-based proteins.
In recent years, the use of lupins and lupin-derived ingredients in the food industry has increased significantly, bringing the presence of these naturally occurring contaminants into sharper focus. At the same time, there has been a rise in notifications submitted to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) as well as product recalls related to elevated alkaloid concentrations.
The ingestion of high levels of quinolizidine alkaloids can cause symptoms of poisoning in humans, affecting the nervous, cardiovascular, and digestive systems. The most common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and gastrointestinal disorders, which may be accompanied by impaired motor coordination and tachycardia.
In view of these developments, it is essential for food businesses to assess and manage the associated risks throughout the entire supply chain—from raw materials to the finished product.
Risk Assessment by the European Food Safety Authority
In September 2019, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a scientific opinion assessing the risks associated with quinolizidine alkaloids in food and feed.
Based on this assessment, the lowest oral effective single dose of 0.16 mg sparteine per kg of body weight was established as the reference point for characterizing the risk associated with acute exposure to quinolizidine alkaloids. Due to insufficient data, however, no health-based guidance value could be established for chronic exposure. Consequently, no maximum limits for quinolizidine alkaloids have been set.
Under Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, food placed on the market must be safe. Accordingly, food business operators are required to carry out a risk assessment, ensure appropriate control of raw materials, and monitor the entire production process.
EU Monitoring Recommendation for Quinolizidine Alkaloids in Lupins and Lupin-Derived Foods
On 11 June 2026, the European Commission published Recommendation (EU) 2026/1241 on the monitoring of quinolizidine alkaloids in lupins and foods derived from lupins.
The Recommendation establishes an EU-wide monitoring programme for quinolizidine alkaloids (QAs) in lupins, lupin-derived foods, and relevant foods of animal origin. Its objectives are to generate additional occurrence data, identify factors that may contribute to elevated QA levels, and assess the impact of processing steps—such as debittering—on QA concentrations. Data collected through the monitoring programme are to be submitted annually to the EFSA database by 30 June.
The monitoring programme covers a broad range of products, including:
- Dry lupin seeds;
- Lupin flour;
- Canned or jarred lupins;
- Bread and fine bakery products containing lupin ingredients, including premixes;
- Lupin-based coffee substitutes;
- Lupin-based egg, dairy, and meat alternatives;
- Lupin protein powders for shakes and smoothies.
Because quinolizidine alkaloids can be transferred from lupin-containing feed into foods of animal origin, the Recommendation also advises monitoring animal-derived food products, particularly milk, when livestock have been fed compound feed containing lupin-derived feed materials.
The Recommendation identifies the relevant quinolizidine alkaloids to be monitored, including albine, anagyrin, angustifoline, lupanine, isolupanine, multiflorine, 13α-hydroxylupanine, lupinine, and sparteine, and sets out analytical requirements to ensure reliable monitoring across a wide range of food and feed matrices.zes zu ermöglichen.
Recommended Analytical Limits of Quantification
The recommended analytical limits of quantification (LOQs) for testing methods are approximately:
- 1.0 mg/kg for lupin seeds and processed products derived from lupin seeds;
- 0.2 mg/kg for foods containing lupin seeds or processed lupin-derived ingredients;
- 0.05 mg/kg for milk and other foods of animal origin.
Our Method for the Analysis of Quinolizidine Alkaloids
At Mérieux NutriSciences, we have validated and established a highly specific LC-MS/MS method for the determination of 10 quinolizidine alkaloids (sparteine, lupinine, lupanine, 13α-hydroxylupanine, isolupanine, angustifoline, anagyrine, cytisine, thermopsine, and multiflorine) across a wide range of feed and food matrices.
Our analytical scope covers nearly all quinolizidine alkaloid compounds listed in the EU Monitoring Recommendation (EU) 2026/1241 and complies with the recommended analytical limits of quantification.
For the specified target analytes, our analytical scope includes the following matrices:
- Foods with a high content of lupin ingredients (e.g., flour, cereals, meat substitutes);
- Moist foods with a lower proportion of lupin ingredients (e.g., milk, dairy products, milk alternatives);
- Feed materials (lupin meal, lupin seeds, lupin flour, compound feed).
Additional Services
- Step-by-step monitoring of production processes and debittering stages
- Technical and scientific consulting and risk assessment
