"Drug Components Detected": What Was the Ingredient She Sprinkled on Her Daily Toast?

According to The Financial News, a pregnant woman in the United States of America (U.S.) tested positive on a drug screening because of the toast she ate for breakfast. The cause was traced to poppy seeds contained in the seasoning she sprinkled on the toast. In the U.S., poppy seeds are a legal ingredient that is widely used in food.
On the 25th (local time), Daily Mail reported that Cassie Hope, who lives in Maryland, was recently told during a routine obstetrics checkup that her blood test results were abnormal. The test showed that opioid substances had been detected in her blood.
Hope had never taken illegal drugs in her life, and she could not hide her shock at the unexpected result.
“I was terrified the doctor would think I was a drug addict, report me to the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), or try to take my baby away,” Hope recalled.
Distressed and confused, Hope eventually confided in her older sister.
“My sister asked me, ‘Wait, haven’t you been eating avocado toast all the time?’” Hope said. “I answered, ‘Yeah, I have it every morning. Why?’ Then she told me, ‘The seasoning you sprinkle on that toast has poppy seeds in it.’”
It was later confirmed that for the two weeks leading up to the test, Hope had eaten avocado toast every morning, topped with seasoning that contained poppy seeds. Trace amounts of morphine and codeine, opioid compounds present on the poppy seeds, had triggered the positive result on her blood test.
Once she understood what had happened, Hope immediately contacted the hospital. The nurse who took her call reassured her, saying they were not overly concerned about the opioid-positive result.
Earlier this month, Hope posted a video sharing her story on the social media platform TikTok. The clip went viral, surpassing 1.4 million views.
Through the video, she urged viewers to be cautious.
“If you eat poppy seeds, your blood or urine tests can come back positive for opioids, so be careful,” Hope emphasized.
In the comments section of the post, many people responded that they had gone through similar experiences.
One commenter wrote, “I ate a whole bag of muffins with poppy seeds, and a small amount showed up on my drug test.”
Another user shared, “I ate that seasoning while I was pregnant and tested positive, and I was devastated.”

hsg@fnnews.com Reporter Han Seung-gon Reporter