Spices and Herbs

In most developing countries, low priority is given to research programmes on spices and
herbs. However, Indonesia and India have undertaken several successful initiatives.
Training programmes at various levels, designed to give farmers, traders and exporters the
knowledge of how to improve the quality of spices, have been organised. For example, the
Spice Board of India organises “spice upgradation programmes” and has set up a quality
and upgrading laboratory, which offers analytical services to exporters for the analysis of
spices for physical, chemical and microbial contaminants. The address of the Spice Board
of India is given in Appendix 3.
The actual quality standards required are set primarily by importers and major end users
against the background of the health and safety requirements demanded by the Dutch (or
other EU national) Food and Drugs Act. The main quality factors considered by traders in
selecting spices and herbs are appearance, flavour, aroma, colour, volatile oil content and
cleanliness.
5.1.2 EU standards
The European Spice Association (ESA), which represents 12 major national spice
associations in Europe, has now developed an “ESA Contract” which indicates minimum
quality standards for imported spices, methods of arbritation and enforcement procedures.
The draft contract was launched at the ESA General Assembly in France in May 1996 and
forms the basis for all future contracts with EU purchasers.
The ESA specifications of quality minima for spices and herbs are the proposed legal
minimum standards for selling into the EU. But it must be emphasised that the quality
requirements of traders in major northern European markets (Germany, The Netherlands,
United Kingdom and France) are generally much stricter. Further information can be
obtained from ESA. A detailed overview of ESA specifications of quality minima for
spices and herbs and the address are given in Appendix 3.
Since 1996, there has been a ban on ethylene oxide as a sterilising agent. Although
sterilisation by irradiation is efficient, there are objections: the product’s quality may be
changed and consumer attitudes to irradiated food are negative.
Low moisture content in spices is said to make them safer when irradiated. Since the
process uses radioactive isotopes, both the workers in irradiation facilities and the people
and animals in nearby communities are at daily risk of exposure from potential leaks and
as radioactive materials must be transported to and from irradiation sites, leaks and traffic
accidents pose a threat to people and land. Irradiation can also result in the creation of new
chemicals in foods. These include known carcinogens like benzene, formaldehyde and
certain peroxides. Irradiation may also destroy nutrients essential to human health such as
vitamin C, thiamin, vitamin E and polyunsaturated fats. Relevant regulations are included
in a special decree for irradiated food in the Food and Drugs Act.
Steam sterilising, which provides en excellent method of reducing bacteria count, is now
being used more often. Large processors use computer-controlled processes of rapid steam
heating of spices and herbs under pressure.
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