Microbiology of Spices
This white paper provides and overview of the microbiology of spices and includes information on pathogens of concern in spices, antimicrobial properties of spices, prevalence of bacteria in raw spices, role of microbiological testing, legal and regulatory requirements, and conclusions/additional resources on best practices for food safety.
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Related Resources
2020 Technical Presentation: ASTA Recording on Presence and Control of Spore-forming Bacteria
Bacillus cereus and Clostridium botulinum are identified as potential hazards for herbs, spices, and seasonings under Appendix I of the FDA’s Draft Guidance for Industry: Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food. This presentation includes a discussion on how risks and mitigation strategies differ depending on the end use of spice, herb, and seasoning ingredients. The presentation was provided by Jim Dickson, Iowa State University, Maile Hermida, Hogan Lovells, and ASTA General Counsel.
Evaluation of Antimicrobial Properties on the Surrogate Organism Enterococcus faecium for Validation of Spice Processing Controls
This document, revised in January 2022, is an evaluation of Enterococcus faecium as a potential surrogate for validation of spice processing controls and provides data demonstrating the relative inhibition of the proposed surrogate (Enterococcus faecium) and a group of non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica.
