Sticky Sweet Cinnamon Roll in a 'Sticky Situation': Dessert may be Banned in Denmark due to Health Regulations

Could the beloved cinnamon roll be a dangerous dessert? 

The popular Danish pastry also known as kanelsnegle but more commonly called the cinnamon swirl (or cinnamon bun, sticky bun, etc.) may soon be pulled right out of the oven before any Dane has the chance to pull this sweet and savory delight into his or her mouth. Why? Because it's just too unhealthy based on European law.

"We must recognize that to get a cinnamon roll ... to taste like cinnamon, we have to use more than the very small amounts allowed, or it's the end of the cinnamon roll as we know it," Hardy Christensen, the head of the Danish Baker's Association said, according to NPR.

So what's the problem, here? Sugar, eggs, milk, butter... We don't all scarf down sweets all the time, but isn't everyone, including Europeans alike, allowed to enjoy an unhealthy treat from time to time? Well, turns out, there's more to this sticky dessert than meets the eye... You see, too much cinnamon can actually pose a health risk to the liver.

As the most common type of cinnamon sold in the world remains cassia cinnamon, a naturally occurring ingredient found in the spice known as coumarin, it can be extremely dangerous to the liver when used in high doses. Due to the potential health risk, the European Union actually put a limit on the amount of cassia cinnamon that can be used in cooking. In other words, the organization notes that cassia cinnamon should only contain five to 50 milligrams of the ingredient per every kilogram of food.

However, being the holidays and all, it's difficult to leave this special yet potentially harmful ingredient, out of some treats. In fact, after the Danish Food Administration conducted a recent survey regarding baked goods in Denmark, they found that nearly 50 percent of fine baked goods made in the area contained above the amount of recommended levels of cassia cinnamon.

Unfortunately, it looks like banning the kanelsnegle may be what it takes to help set a health precedent for this issue.

Is it the end of the cinnamon roll?