Analysis of Herbs & Spices

Herbs, spices or spice mixtures are often added to food just before serving. These dishes are then no longer completely heated, so that possible contamination, e.g. by microorganisms, cannot be reduced by heat exposure.

This is manifested by adverse health effects on consumers. 'Herbs and spices' is the product category with the fourth most notifications in the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Most of the notifications arise due to

• Compositional errors, such as those caused by unauthorized colorants.
• Contamination with mold toxins such as aflatoxins and ochratoxin
• Germs such as salmonella, coli bacteria and bacillus cereus

In order to minimize the health risk to consumers and to be able to guarantee the product quality and product safety of herbs and spices, a combination of different analyses is useful.

Pesticides & Residue Analysis

One of the most important controls is testing for pesticides, as these are widely used in cultivation. Here, both conventional products and organic products must be tested for the presence or exceeding of limits in order to be able to guarantee safe products.

The Tentamus Group laboratories analyze food products for pesticides using LC-MS/MS or GC-MS/MS.

Prohibited dyes

The use of certain azo dyes is prohibited in the EU, such as Sudan red and Pararot. Nevertheless, they are repeatedly detected in imported spices and herbs. These synthetically produced dyes are carcinogenic and are often used, for example, to intensify the colour of a spice. They are frequently found in chili or paprika powder. LC-MS/MS can be used to reliably detect banned dyes.

Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins, i.e. mold toxins, can be formed in spices and herbs by incorrect storage (too warm or too humid). Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A and paprika and chili powder were found particularly frequently. The majority of mycotoxins are analyzed by LC-MS/MS.

Microbiological Contamination

Germs can get into herbs and spices on the one hand through the environment (e.g. soil), but also through hygienic deficiencies during processing steps and storage. In order to prevent the growth of microorganisms, the water content of dried herbs and spices must not exceed 12% according to the guidelines of the German Food Book (Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture). The following germs are to be expected in spices and other seasoning ingredients:

• Bacillus cereus
• Salmonellae
• Molds
• Clostridia
• E. coli

The laboratories of the Tentamus Group examine your foodstuffs with regard to microbiological safety and assess the results in accordance with the regulations in force in the respective country.

Heavy Metals

Depending on the cultivation area, heavy metals can enter the products via air, water and soil. The maximum residue levels for heavy metals must not be exceeded in herbs and spices. In the European rapid alert system, the following heavy metals were detected most frequently:

• Lead
• Copper
• Chromium
• Aluminum
• Nickel

We test herbs and spices for heavy metals using ICP.

Natural Ingredients

Certain naturally occurring ingredients in herbs and spices are also subject to limits that must not be exceeded.

These include coumarin, which occurs in cinnamon. It is considered to be carcinogenic and there are limits on coumarin content for various compound foods, such as dessert foods and fine baked goods. There is currently no regulated limit for coumarin content in the spice cinnamon itself.

Capsaicin is found in cayenne pepper and chili and is responsible for their spiciness. So if you want to determine the degree of spiciness in Scoville of your products, we analyze the capsaicin content and convert it into the Scoville unit for you. The BfR recommends labeling products with more than 100 mg of capsaicin per kilogram of food.

Other natural ingredients we can analyze for you include: Piperine, essential oils and vanillin.

Authenticity Analysis

Herbs and spices are frequently affected by food fraud. Frequently, fraud cases concern the origin of herbs and spices, or the labeling of the products is incorrect or incomplete. An extreme example can be found, for example, in the case of expensive saffron, which is replaced or stretched with cheaper safflower. In addition, cases have been reported in which oregano has been mixed with olive leaves, or natural vanillin has been replaced with artificial vanillin.

Our Tentamus Center for Food Fraud (TCF²) is available to answer any questions you may have about food fraud and will be happy to advise you.

Filth Test

The Filth Test detects solid contaminants such as insects, insect fragments and rodent hairs in food products. This test proves to be a useful tool for evaluating the hygienic quality of the product and the raw materials used for its production. This test is particularly important for herbs and spices, which are produced and imported in many different countries, sometimes under precarious conditions.

In order for the Tentamus Group laboratories to analyze your herbs, spice blends and spices, the products must be transported to the appropriate locations. You can send your samples to us yourself, drop them off in person, or hire us to pick them up. Simply contact us to arrange a collection date.

• Regulation (EC) No. 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (flavourings)
• Regulation (EC) No. 2065/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (smoke flavourings)
• Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2023/915 (contaminants regulation)
• Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council (maximum levels of pesticide residues)
• Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Flavour Regulation)
• Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Food Additives)
• Guiding principles for spices and other seasoning ingredients

The following laboratories from the Tentamus Group offer the analysis of herbs, spice mixtures and spices

This could also be of interest to you:

• Analyses

  Residue analysis
  Chemical analyses
  Microbiological testing
  Food testing

• Product Categories

  Tea
  Nuts
  Dried Fruits

• Other Services

  Labeling
  Hygiene training
  Sample logistics