
Sassafras root beer is a traditional drink with a long history. Before the 1960s, root beer was made from the root of the sassafras tree, and it was even used medicinally by the Cherokee and other tribes. However, today, sassafras is banned as an ingredient in products in the United States and Canada due to the presence of safrole oil, which has been shown to increase the risk of liver cancer in rats. Despite this, it is still possible to buy products containing sassafras with the safrole oil removed, and some people choose to make their own homemade sassafras root beer. This can be done by foraging for sassafras roots, which grow east of the Great Plains, or by purchasing sassafras root bark online.
What You'll Learn
- Sassafras root is not legal to sell, but you can buy the root dried
- Sassafras grows in the United States and Canada east of the Great Plains
- You can buy sassafras root bark online
- Sassafras is banned as an ingredient in products in the United States and Canada
- You can buy products that contain sassafras with the safrole oil removed
Sassafras root is not legal to sell, but you can buy the root dried
Sassafras was banned as an ingredient in products in the United States and Canada in the 1960s due to the safrole oil it contains, which has been shown to increase the risk of liver cancer in rats. However, you can buy products that contain sassafras with the safrole oil removed.
If you are looking for an alternative, you can use sarsaparilla, which is easy to get from new age health shops. You can also forage for roots to make your own homemade root beer.
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Sassafras grows in the United States and Canada east of the Great Plains
If you are unable to find sassafras, there are alternative ingredients you can use to make root beer. One option is to use sarsaparilla, which can be purchased from new age health shops. Another option is to use a root beer syrup, which can be made using ingredients such as burdock, which grows as a weed.
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You can buy sassafras root bark online
Sassafras root bark is an ingredient in homemade root beer. It is banned in the United States and Canada, but you can buy it online. You can also find it in the wild if you live east of the Great Plains, south of Quebec and north of Orlando. If you don't live in these areas, you can buy the root bark dried online. However, it is not clear how well this would work in a root beer recipe.
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Sassafras is banned as an ingredient in products in the United States and Canada
Sassafras was once used to manufacture root beer, a common beverage. The roots and barks of the sassafras tree contain a high concentration of safrole. Safrole was listed as a carcinogen in rats by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is hence banned at present. The risk of developing cancer increases with the amount consumed and duration of consumption. Safrole is also used in the production of an illegal drug called Ecstasy (MDMA [3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine]).
Sassafras tea contains a high concentration of safrole, which was about 4.5 times the permissible dose. Thus, in 1976, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sales of sassafras tea. Moreover, the FDA prohibited the use of sassafras as food additives. The current brands of root beer use synthetic flavouring in place of sassafras.
Sassafras grows everywhere in the United States and Canada east of the Great Plains. If you don’t live there, or don’t feel like foraging for your own sassafras, you can buy sassafras root bark online. However, it should be noted that sassafras root is not actually legal to sell.
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You can buy products that contain sassafras with the safrole oil removed
Sassafras root is not legal to sell, but you can buy the root dried, although it is unclear how well this would work in a root beer recipe. Sassafras is banned as an ingredient in products in the United States and Canada due to the safrole oil it contains, which has been shown to increase the risk of liver cancer in rats. However, you can buy products that contain sassafras with the safrole oil removed. If you live in the United States or Canada east of the Great Plains, you can forage for your own sassafras, or you can buy sassafras root bark online.
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Frequently asked questions
Sassafras root beer is not available to buy as a ready-made product. However, you can make it yourself at home.
Sassafras grows in the United States and Canada east of the Great Plains, so if you live in this region, you can forage for it yourself. You can also buy sassafras root bark online.
Yes. Sassafras is banned as an ingredient in products in the United States and Canada because it contains safrole oil, which has been shown to increase the risk of liver cancer in rats. However, you can buy products that contain sassafras with the safrole oil removed.
Yes, you can use sarsaparilla, which is available in new age health shops.