Estragole, spice

Estragole (35), methyleugenol (36), and safrole (37) occur naturally in various herbs and spices and are approved favor additives. 154,155 jjigse compounds are... 

Miller JA, Miller EC. The metabolic activation and nucleic acid adducts of naturally-occurring carcinogens recent results with ethyl carbamate and the spice flavors safrole and estragole. Br J Cancer 1983 48(1) 1-15. 

Use Mainly in the manufacture of perfumes with spicy (for men) and green notes, and as an aromatic spice for foods. Indian B. is also used for isolation of pure estragole, from which anethole can be obtained by double bond isomerization. 

This means that the maximum levels do not apply to estragol, safrol, and methyleugenol when only fresh, dried, or frozen herbs and spices are added However, when food ingredients with avoring properties such as essential oils are added, or when essential oils and/or other avorings are added in combination with herbs and spices, the levels do apply. 

Foods may contain a number of alkyl aryl ethers that are components of essential oils of different spices as well as secondary substances. These ethers are most often derived from anisole (methoxybenzene, 8-33) or veratrole (1,2-dimethoxybenzene, 8-33), which are substituted by a prop-l-en-yl or l-prop-2-en-l-yl (allyl) group at the C-4 position of the benzene ring. An important ether is estragole (also known as 4-aUylanisole or methyl chavicol, 8-33), which is the main component (over 80%) of basil essential oil (see Table 8.32, later) and tarragon (dragon s wort) essential oil... 

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