By: Brooks Ford, MS,
RD, CSSD, LD, CSCS*
Do you eat foods or
take dietary supplements that contain poppy seeds? If so, take note: DoD is
advising Service Members to avoid all products that contain poppy seeds. This
is because they might cause you to test positive for codeine on a drug test. Here’s
what you need to know.
Poppy seeds and the
risk of a positive drug test
Poppy seeds are the seeds
you can eat from the opium poppy plant. When harvested, there’s a possibility
they can become contaminated with morphine, codeine, or other opium alkaloids. Recently,
there’s been concern that some poppy seeds might have higher concentrations of
codeine than others. Experts are working to uncover why this might be, but the
variety of poppy, where it came from, and the time of harvest can impact the
amount of contamination. As a result, there’s a risk you might test positive
for codeine on a drug test after eating them.
Service Members should avoid any products containing poppy seeds to avoid the risk of a positive drug test.
Where you find poppy seeds
Poppy seeds are frequently
used in recipes for their unique flavor and texture. Most often you find them in
bagels, muffins, cakes, breads, crackers, and poppy seed oils.
You can tell if a food
contains poppy seeds by reading the ingredients list on the Nutrition Facts or
Supplement Facts label of a particular product. If you buy a product without a
label (such as a poppy seed muffin from a coffee shop), be sure to ask if poppy
seeds were used in the recipe.
Because the DoD
doesn’t make mention of specific brands or products, there is no list of foods
or supplements Service Members are asked to avoid. Instead, Service Members
should avoid any products containing poppy seeds to avoid the risk of a
positive drug test.
Visit the Operation Supplement Safety website to read the memorandum
from the Under Secretary of Defense and learn more.
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*Disclosure: The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
