EU law could ban Danish pastries

FOOD safety officials could impose a ban on Danish pastries over concerns they contain dangerously high amounts of cinnamon.

A 2008 health law passed in Brussels limits the amount of cinnamon allowed in "everyday baked goods" to 15mg per kg of food.

The measure, following consultation with the European Food Safety Authority, aims to limit intake of coumarin, a naturally-occurring toxic chemical found in the most commonly used cinnamon, cassia.

About half the pastries tested in a recent study by the Danish Food Administration were over the limit.

An association of Danish bakers warns that unless a reprieve is granted, it would be "the end of the cinnamon roll as we know it".