In Australia, almost 40 illnesses have been recorded in patients who consumed poppy seeds in tea. a number of poppy seeds not meant for human consumption and having significant quantities of thebaine entered the supply chain said by food safety officials in Australia.

There have been 37 cases reported in all, with 14 in New South Wales, 11 in Victoria, and 7 in Queensland. South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory each have 1, while Western Australia has 2. In mid-November, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) launched a national recall and has been handling the response in collaboration with state and territory food authorities.

The symptoms include increased respiration rate and muscle spasms, trouble breathing, and unconsciousness. They normally appear within a few minutes to a few hours.

Some batches of poppy seeds have caused significant toxicity when brewed into a concentrated form.  Patients observed that poppy seed tea had an odd dark brown hue and a bitter taste. The brands that have recalled the impacted product are Hoyts Poppy Seeds, Gaganis Premium Australian Poppy Seed, East West Foods Wholesale Poppy Seeds, Basfoods International – Royal Fields Poppy Seeds, Freshco Foods Victoria – Uttam Khus Khus Poppy, and Eumarrah Poppy Seeds.

Davis Trading Company distributed the product directly to customers when it was intended to be sold only to manufacturers as an ingredient in the production of other foods, said Vincent Arbuckle, deputy director-general of New Zealand Food Safety. The issue with this product is that it has greater quantities of alkaloids. There is no proof that the product is hazardous for use in routine household cooking and baking.