Adulteration and Contamination Prevention
Adulteration and food fraud can pose serious issues and is an area of concern for the entire food industry. ASTA is committed to preventing all types of food fraud and minimizing the risk of spice contamination through education, resources, and sustained advocacy efforts.
Adulteration
What is adulteration?
Adulteration involves the act of intentionally tampering with a food product and degrading the quality of the food by adding inferior substances or by removing some valuable ingredient or characterizing property. This practice is usually economically motivated and does not typically pose a food safety risk, but in rare instances may present a threat to public health through the addition of a toxic substance or allergen. Adulteration can occur at various stages of the supply chain, from production and processing to packaging and distribution.
Types of spice adulteration
Preventing adulteration from occurring in spices is a top priority for the U.S. spice industry and requires an awareness of the problems that can exist in the global supply chain. Examples of forms of adulteration that may occur include:
- Addition of fillers to increase volume or weight
- Substitution of all or a portion of ingredients with a similar ingredient that is inferior in quality
- Chemical adulteration to artificially enhance color
It is illegal to sell adulterated products in the United States. ASTA has zero tolerance for the practice of economically adulterating spices and is committed to preventing adulteration across the spice supply chain.
Contamination
What is contamination?
Contamination involves the accidental incorporation of natural or artificial substances that may be harmful, either when present above safety thresholds or for certain sensitive individuals (as in the case of allergens). Contaminants may be incorporated into food products during growing, processing, packaging, or storage.
Types of contamination in spices
- Heavy metals, which occur naturally in the environment
- Agricultural contaminants, including those from pollution or pesticides
- Mycotoxins, which are produced by fungi that can grow on spices in the field or during storage
- Cross-contact with allergens, such as peanuts
As an organization, ASTA is committed to mitigating the risk of contamination of spices by providing education and guidance on safe agricultural and manufacturing practices.
