Controlling pesticide and other residues in herbs and spices 41
2.1 Introduction
Spices have occupied the centre stage of world trade since time immemorial. Many
Europeans travelled to such distant countries as India and China in search of spice
commodities. During the period from the 15th to the 17th centuries, the Spanish, the
English, the Portuguese, and the Dutch traders competed for prominence in the spice
trade in the Far East, and by the 19th century, America had also entered the spice
trade. It was a tradition for many families in the colonies of those times to have their
own herb and spice gardens. Herbs were consumed for medicinal and culinary purposes,
apart from their use as preservatives.
Quality standards in spice trade had taken a definite shape by the 1800s and many
improved processing techniques were put in place. During the early 1900s, spice
brands such as Golden Rule, Watkins, Raleigh, and McNess were well known among
the trade community and consumers in the west. Over a period of time, the international
market witnessed sweeping changes with regard to the quality of spices and herbs.
New food safety systems and good manufacturing practices (GMP) based on hazard
analysis and critical control points (HACCP) influenced the traceability and safety of
ingredients used. Before the era of globalisation and liberalisation, exporters had to
comply with the pre-shipment inspection and quality specifications prescribed by
various governmental agencies. Post liberalisation, as trade barriers started to ease,
pre-shipment inspection and quality control were withdrawn and the exporters became
free to export products according to the specifications prescribed by the importing
countries.
The most popular standard for whole spices and herbs is the ASTA-USDA cleanliness
specifications for spices, seeds and herbs. Since the beginning of 1990, this has been
an international standard for cleanliness, and major producing countries have aligned
their supplies to meet the requirements of this standard. The European Spice Association
(ESA), comprising the members of the European Union, has brought out a Quality
Minima for Herbs and Spices, which serves as a standard for individual member
countries of the European Union. Apart from this, individual member countries like
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Controlling pesticide and other residues in
herbs and spices
K. J. Venugopal, AVT McCormick Ingredients (P) Ltd, India