Dr. Tim Boring Director | Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Dr. Tim Boring Director | Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has issued a reminder to consumers and the food industry in Michigan to be vigilant about product labels due to an increase in foods and dietary supplements containing potentially harmful psychotropic or psychoactive substances.
"Psychoactive or psychotropic substances, when added to foods or dietary supplements and consumed, can affect mental processes like perception, consciousness, cognition or mood and emotions and are not legal to use as food ingredients," stated Tim Slawinski, director of the MDARD Bureau of Food Safety and Animal Health. He warned that products claiming to contain such ingredients might be inaccurately labeled, leading to unexpected or harmful side effects.
Unapproved ingredients identified include certain mushrooms like psylocibin and A. muscaria, cannabis-based components, non-noble kava forms, kratom, among others. Potential side effects from these substances could involve liver toxicity, seizures, elevated blood pressure and heart rates, reduced motor skills, and hallucinations. Under the Michigan Food Law and federal regulations (Sec 402(f)(1)(B)), foods with these ingredients are deemed adulterated.
Despite their presence in the market recently, products with these unapproved ingredients are illegal for sale or production within Michigan or across state lines. They do not meet the criteria for inclusion on the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) list. Consequently, consumable products containing any form of these substances are considered adulterated and prohibited from being manufactured, held, distributed, or sold in Michigan.
Outside marijuana regulations, any substance intended for addition to food or drink must first receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Currently, there is no legal avenue for manufacturing or selling food products with other psychoactive or psychotropic additives in Michigan.
For further inquiries, contact MDARD's Human Food Division at MDA-info@michigan.gov.
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