A report released by the Food and Drug Administration estimates that 12 percent of imported spices are adulterated by filth. That rate is almost two times higher than other FDA food imports.
The agency notes that most of the spices consumed in the US are imported, with the exception of dehydrated onion.
Data was collected between 2007 and 2010. They discovered contamination with “filth adulterants,” including: animal excrement, insects (live and dead, whole or in parts), hair from humans, rodents and other animals, decomposed parts, and other materials, such as stones, twigs, staples, wood slivers, plastic, synthetic fibers and rubber bands.
The FDA’s report primarily focused on risks for Salmonella. However, they also noted other microbes in spices, including bacillus, clostridium perfringens, cronobacter, shigella and staph bacteria.
Since 1973, there have been 14 illness outbreaks in the US, resulting in more than 1,900 illnesses, 128 hospitalizations and two deaths. Ten of those outbreaks were linked to Salmonella bacteria. The report notes that most people eat spices in small amounts and fail to remember eating spices, so many illnesses may go unreported.
Close to 750 shipments of spices were refused entry to the US due to Salmonella. Another 240 were refused entry because of the presence of filth.
Jane M. Van Doren, a food and spice official at the FDA, says this report is a “wake-up call” to spice producers.
“It means: ‘Hey, you haven’t solved the problems,” she said.
