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Contamination in spices & herbs: Remedies for proper health

Amit Krishna De

India is a land of spices & herbs and there are 52 spices, which have been identified by Indian Spices Board. All these spices & herbs have traditional uses, medicinal properties and the popularity of highly spiced cuisine and consumer demand for foods with enhanced function in flavor, taste and protection in diseases have resulted in a continuing interest in the use of spices in food products.

The spices & herbs are consumed in various forms such as whole spices, ground spices, oleoresins, extracts etc. Ground spices & herbs maybe adulterated with artificial colours, starch, chalk powder, etc. to increase their weight and enhance appearance. High value ground spices are frequently adulterated for economic gains. Consumption of adulterated spices for prolonged periods may result in stomach disorders, cancer, vomiting, diarrhoea, ulcers, liver disorders, skin disorders, neurotoxicity, etc. Moreover, spices and herbs can often be a major source of adulteration & microbial contamination, with potentially harmful microbes, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia intermedia, Shigella spp., Enterobacter spp., Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Hafni alvei. In some cases Salmonella concentrations have also been reported in spices. Aflatoxin produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, and Aspergillus nomius is the most common mycotoxins in spices.  This type of contamination by microorganisms can occur during pre or post-harvest processing. Even though most of the spices have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, they are sometimes affected with microorganisms, which may be harmful for human health after consumption.