Pink peppercorn

Pink peppercorn refers to spice made from dried berries of the shrub Schinus molle. Jars of pink peppercorn may also be labelled "baies roses." They are not from the Brazilian Pepper tree, Schinus terebinthifolius, which has toxic qualities.

Toxicity controversy

In 1982, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the trade of pink peppercorns in the US, on grounds of possible allergic reactions upon consumption.^[1] The spice was probably banned because of confusion over which species was being used to produce the spice, S. terebinthifolius or S. molle. This ban was reportedly lifted in 2005 probably because it was shown the spice came from S. molle, not S. terebinthifolius.

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