Safety advisory · FDA Alerts & Advisories

Amygdalin in Apricot Seeds: FDA Safety Advisory (Sep 12, 2024)

Agency action: Sep 12, 2024Record ID: fda_alerts_&-f993582bf7171812
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What happened

Original notice title

FDA Issues Warning About Toxic Amygdalin Found in Apricot Seeds

From the archived source record

The FDA reviewed analytical packets from the Commonwealth of Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS) from three samples collected by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), representing the products listed below, and found them all to contain the toxic compound amygdalin: DCLS analysis determined that the Apricot Power products identified with the lot numbers above contain high levels of amygdalin, which, when consumed, could lead to fatal cyanide toxicity. Mild-to-moderate symptoms of acute cyanide toxicity from the ingestion of kernels containing amygdalin include difficulty breathing (dyspnea), bluish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes (cyanosis), weakness, and lightheadedness. Symptoms of severe acute toxicity include coma, seizures, stupor, dysrhythmias, cardiovascular collapse, and metabolic acidosis. Chronic consumption of food containing high concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides can cause neuropathy symptoms, such as impaired eyesight (optic nerve atrophy), deafness, loss of balance (ataxia), and sensory or motor nerve dysfunction. A lethal dose of cyanide can rapidly lead to severe hypotension, apnea, seizures, and death. The FDA advises consumers who have ingested any of these products of concern to contact their health care provider immediately. Even if these products have not been used recently, consumers should still inform their health care provider about which product they took, so that an appropriate evaluation can be conducted. Consumers can also contact the state poison control center . Following receipt of a complaint and sample results from DSHS, the FDA notified Apricot Power of the results and initial concerns. On 5/8/24, the firm declined to recall the products. Upon additional assessment of the findings, the FDA held a follow up call with the firm to share the risks associated with these products. As of 5/24/24, the firm has continued to decline a voluntarily recall of these products. The FDA is issuing this safety alert to warn consumers.

What the official notice says to do

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Status and source details

Status recorded in the archive
Published FDA communication
Source checked
Jul 16, 2026
Record revision
5df50fb368a7

This is a dated record. Its current status may have changed since the source was captured. A record applies to its stated scope; it is not a safety rating for every product from a company.

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What is affected

Product
FDA Issues Warning About Toxic Amygdalin Found in Apricot Seeds
Company
FDA
Lot / identifier
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Market / distribution
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