ASTA Cleanliness Specifications
ASTA's Cleanliness Specifications were developed to ensure that spices meet federal regulatory requirements for safety and cleanliness. They were designed to meet or exceed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Defect Action Levels.
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Related Resources
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Guide For Spices
ASTA's Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Guide for Spices was revised in January 2023 to align with new FSMA cGMP provisions. The goal of this document is to provide the spice industry with a tool to highlight and focus on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) critical for the safe production of spices and provide an overview of domestic and global food safety and hygiene principles. The guidance was initially published in 2015 and then revised in 2023 to align with the Food and Drug Administration’s current Good Manufacturing practices.
ASTA Clean, Safe Spices Guidance Document
ASTA's Clean, Safe Spices Guidance was updated in 2017 to add references to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and updated information related to FDA's Reportable Food Registry. It also contains the latest information on research into the identification of surrogates for the validation of microbial reduction techniques.