Analysis of herbs and spices

Your experts for comprehensive herb and spice analysis

Whether growing, exporting, importing, trading or selling herbs, spices or their mixtures - in the Eurofins laboratory network for food and feed testing in Germany you will always find qualified experts for the entire herbs and spices sector. Along the entire supply chain, we offer comprehensive quality assurance measures for raw spices, intermediate products or the finished herbs and spices as well as their mixtures.

Our analysis and service portfolio for herbs and spices

Eurofins offers a comprehensive range of analytical tests for herbs and spices to detect the multitude of residues and contaminants that may enter along the value chain:

The analysis of pesticide residues or pesticides is the most important control parameter for herbs and spices due to their heavy use in cultivation. This applies both to compliance with the limit values for conventional goods and to the testing of organic products, where the use of synthetic pesticides is prohibited.

Along the entire value chain, we offer analyses for mycotoxins and plant toxins. While mycotoxins are formed by molds, e.g. due to incorrect storage, plant toxins such as pyrrolizidine and tropane alkaloids can enter the product through harvested or admixed foreign plants. In addition, we also carry out analyses for heavy metals, the contamination of which is usually influenced by the environmental conditions existing on site. We offer appropriate microbiological analyses to ensure compliance with recommended DGHM criteria. Short-term heating during production has an influence on the microbial status of a product. A special focus continues to be on the topic of authenticity, i.e. the purity and genuineness of the goods.

We offer almost all analytical tests within the scope of quality assurance of herbs and spices. The most important key analyses are listed below:

Additional analyses und services

In the course of supply chain control, we carry out international sampling at the point of origin in over 100 countries. When placing goods on the market, both import and export, we support you with adequate labelling control, which includes the law applicable in the country of placing on the market and takes into account the product processing. We also offer relevant nutritional analyses.

Industry expertise

Through continuous participation in relevant professional organisations and committees as well as cooperation with research institutes, our portfolio of analyses and consulting services are always closely aligned with the needs of the market. We offer you practice-oriented consulting solutions based on many years of experience of our industry experts.

Memberships of individual Eurofins laboratories

• Vereinigung der am Drogen- und Chemikalien- Groß- und Außenhandel beteiligten Firmen (Drogen- und Chemikalienverein) e.V. (VDC) (in German)
  (Association of Companies Involved in the Wholesale and Foreign Trade of Drugs and Chemicals e.V. (VDC))
• Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL), Arbeitsgruppe §64 LFGB Mykotoxine (in German)
  (Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), Working Group §64 LFGB Mycotoxins)
• Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh), Lebensmittelchemische Gesellschaft (LChG)
  (German Chemical Society (GDCh), Food Chemical Society (LChG));
  Working Group Elements And Element Species
  Working Group On Pesticides

Legal classification

In order to guarantee the quality and safety of herbs and spices, which are sensitive and often highly priced, compliance with strict regulations is indispensable. We provide analysis suited to the changing international requirements. Rapid alerts of the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) for herbs and spices refer to a considerable extent to contamination with microorganisms, mycotoxins, pesticides, allergens and prohibited dyes such as Sudan dyes.

Eurofins Food Legislation News

The Eurofins Food Legislation News is published every two months and focuses on innovations in food law and interesting court rulings. Here you will also find, among other things, information worth knowing about herbs and spices as well as a selected overview of important RASFF rapid alerts.

Relevant legal bases and guidelines

• Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 on maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin (consolidated text)
• Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (consolidated text)
• Leitsätze für Gewürze und andere würzende Zutaten (Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft) (in German)
  (Guidelines for spices and other seasoning ingredients (Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture))
• Regulation (EC) No 401/2006 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of the levels of mycotoxins in foodstuffs (consolidated text)

Flyers and brochures

• Sudan dyes and other illegal dyes
  
  

Other interesting pages