A secret ingredient in poppy seeds could get you into trouble
Think twice before having one of those tasty poppy seed muffins.
Poppy seeds add a delightful crunch to pastries ranging from bread to cakes, making the dishes all the more alluring. But consider this next time you bite into a lemon and poppy seed muffin: the seeds contain morphine residue.
The seeds themselves are not an opiate, but they do come from the same opium poppy plant that is used in the pharmaceutical industry to produce medicines containing codeine and morphine.
Eating foods that contain poppy seeds introduces the morphine residue into your system and, should you take a drug test shortly afterwards, could result in false positives for drugs such as heroin.
A mother in Pennsylvania was caught up in a lawsuit after a poppy seed bagel she ate at a hospital led to a positive drug test that prompted authorities to take her child away from her. That's one reason for her to avoid eating bread for the rest of her life!
Overall, poppy seeds are safe to eat. But since scientists still don't know how much is too much to eat, perhaps save the crunchy treat for after you pass your medical exam.