Norway told to go easy on the pastries

Norwegians are being warned to watch their cinnamon intake during the festive season

Danish Pastry (Rex Features)

Hold the pastries - Norway's Food Standards Authority has issued warnings to "heavy users" of cinnamon to watch their intake this Christmas as the festive season begins.

Cinnamon contains coumarin, a substance which can potentially cause liver damage if consumed in excessive amounts, according to the FSA.

This may mean cutting down on skillingsboller, a Danish cinnamon roll popular in Norway.

"Heavy users of cinnamon should limit their intake," the agency said in a press release on Friday. "The tolerable daily intake (TDI) of cinnamon is estimated at 1.4 ounces. This may have consequences for Bergen's 'skillingsboller' or Danish cinnamon rolls."

The FSA also warned children were the most at risk because they are more susceptible to sweet foods such as cinnamon buns.

"It makes sense to be a little bit more careful about the cinnamon intake of young children," said Atle Wold, the head of the FSA's consumer section told Norwegian news site The Local.

He warned children may be more at risk as they can tolerate less cinnamon than adults.