DrugBuyers.Com: answering a post from Who Offers It?....re codeine

From a very well respected drug-test lab:

Opiates/Poppy Seeds

Q: Can Poppy Seeds cause a positive Opiate result?

A: Yes, it is possible. Poppy seeds are harvested from the Opium Poppy (Papaver Somniferum). The seeds themselves contain little or no opiates, however, the sticky resin that surrounds the seeds in the pod contains high concentrations of Morphine and some Codeine. Depending on the thoroughness of the washing used to remove the resin, some of this coating remains on the seeds.

Morphine levels of up to about 4500 ng/mL are frequently seen after ingestions of food containing poppy seeds. This is especially true of foods containing poppy seed paste (e.g. strudel or other pastries). Codeine levels seen with poppy seeds are less than half that of morphine. If the measured Codeine level is more than half the Morphine level, the source of the positive result is most likely from Codeine use, not poppy seeds.

Since there are many foods that contain poppy seeds (muffins, cakes, pastries, salad dressings, cookies...) care must be taken when interpreting positive opiate results. The Morphine levels seen with poppy seeds cannot be easily differentiated from those seen in donors taking prescription Morphine or illicit drugs (Heroin, Morphine).

If heroin is suspected, analysis for 6-Acetylmorphine (6-AM) may be useful. This intermediate metabolite between Heroin and Morphine is present for a short time after use of Heroin. If found, it is conclusive that Heroin was used. The absence of 6-Acetylmorphine, however, does not prove that the donor did not take Heroin, since the half life of 6-AM is short.

Under the DOT program, the MRO must find objective evidence of Opiate abuse before reporting a positive Opiate. Without such evidence, the result is reported as Negative. The recent change of the DOT opiate threshold to 2000 ng/mL was due, in part, to concern about poppy seeds.