Salmonella is the primary cause for spice recalls and foodborne illness outbreaks, although other forms of bacteria, including E. coli, Clostridium botulinum (which causes botulism) and Listeria all can be found in spices, according to Food Safety News. But contaminants aren’t limited to bacterial growth. In 2013, there was a turmeric recall because excessive amounts of lead were found in the spice.
Spices, Spices, Everywhere
With these startling statistics, it may be tempting to toss the spice rack and grow your own spices indoors or in a window box. However, it’s important to realize just how much spices are a part of so many of the meals we eat.
During the course of its study, which spanned from January 2007 to April 2010, the FDA noted three outbreaks of foodborne illness as a result of spice contamination, which accounted for 457 lab-confirmed illnesses, 68 hospitalizations and one death, according to the published report. Patients ranged in age from less than a year old to senior citizens. And these outbreaks were not localized. The first outbreak was spread across 23 states and cases spread out over a year, with almost all patients being children under the age of six.
After identifying the outbreak and ruling out other possibilities, it was determined that the cause of the foodborne illness outbreak was contaminated broccoli powder that was applied as part of the flavor coating on a brand of snack puffs. This spice had been imported from China and may not have undergone required treatments prior to distribution and sale.
More than 80 percent of the spices that make their way into American kitchens come from overseas because most spices require a tropical or subtropical climate to grow, other than onion, garlic, some chilies and mustard seed. And because many spices are grown and processed in developing countries, food safety and handling processes aren’t as stringent as they are in the United States.
Further, because spices are grown outdoors, they are likely to pick up animal hairs, insects and other contaminants that are an unavoidable part of the growing process. Because heat and other treatments commonly used to eradicate bacteria in spices will not work to eliminate these contaminants, spice processors continue to struggle with ways to deal with filth contamination in spice shipments.
Spice vendors have argued that spices are further treated upon arrival in the United States as part of the packaging and distribution process, implying that spices distributed to food stores aren’t dangerous or contaminated.
What Happens When Contamination Is Found?
The United States has the right to refuse spice shipments with potentially dangerous contaminants that come to the United States. In 2013, for example, FDA inspectors turned away 906 shipments of spices because of filth or the presence of Salmonella.
During this study, though, it became clear that contamination isn’t always happening before spice shipments pass through customs. In one case outlined in the FDA’s Risk-Safety Assessment, a shipment of whole white peppercorns at a California spice processing facility that had been unopened since import was found to contain Salmonella, which would suggest that the contamination took place in Vietnam, the bag’s country of origin. These spices had been “steam washed” to clean the peppercorns but hadn’t undergone any effective pathogen reduction treatments. Inspectors were surprised, however, to find that the lot this bag was a part of came with a certificate of analysis (COA) that stated that the lot had been tested prior to import and had tested negative for Salmonella.
This isn’t an isolated example: Testing of the spice processing and packing facility in California during the FDA’s investigation found that contamination stateside was rampant, with about 40 percent of swabs taken testing positive for Salmonella. The majority of the contamination was in the grinding room, where 94 percent of swabs taken came back positive for Salmonella. While the definite cause of the outbreak can’t be proven, these positive swabs matched the strain of the Salmonella outbreak, and the facility was found to be in multiple violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) regulations for foods.
What Can I Do?
Because the problem is pervasive, and foodborne illness outbreaks resulting from contaminated spices occur regularly, it may be worthwhile to check for any recalls that match with what you have in your spice rack. Try to shop for spice brands that have a commitment to maintaining quality standards -- and have the evidence to back those claims.
Filth cannot be removed from ground spices, but heating your spices as part of the cooking process -- just like thoroughly cooking chicken -- will kill bacteria like Salmonella. If you are concerned about spice safety, avoid adding uncooked spices to meals at the table or uncooked dishes like salads. You also can try pre-roasting spices that go into uncooked dishes, which may help release the flavors in them and minimize your risk of bacterial infections.
You also can try establishing your own herb garden, which, depending on your climate and space limitations, is a great way to get fresh, affordable herbs right from your house, where you can control every step of the growing and harvesting process to ensure quality control. These small gardens are compact and can be grown on a windowsill, balcony or even on a wall-mounted vertical garden indoors or out.