Can sesame seeds give a false positive on drug tests?

I just revisited this thread. Sorry for the delay.

attentionham, the Mythbusters tried this urban legend on their third show and found that it was TRUE! IF the test is one of the more sensitive ones eating a couple of poppy seed bagels WILL cause a positive on the drug test. The catch on this is that then they can switch to testing the hair which will give a profile covering months or years of potential usage.

You would have to eat a pound or two of sesame AND poppy seeds before either would show up on a drug test.

The Seinfeld episode is based on an urban legend

Sesame seeds are safe to eat and won’t cause a drug test to come up positive.

Poppy seeds, on the other hand, will cause a false positive because they contain opium, which is found in many narcotics.

If you are going to be taking a drug test, you should not consume anything with poppy seeds for at least a week if not longer.

Common foods with poppy seeds are:

• poppy seed bagels
• salad dressings
• some cake and pastry recipes call for poppy seeds
• some poultry and casserole dishes require poppy seeds
• many stir-fry dishes contain poppy seeds

Common foods with sesame seeds are:

• various trail mixes have sesame seeds
• bagels
• baked goods, such as pastries and cakes
• granola bars
• many Asian foods use sesame seeds