In both the EU and the US, the firm rule is that spice powders must be safe, and Salmonella must not be present. Beyond that, most numeric limits for total plate count, yeast and mould, E. coli and other organisms are set by buyers in their specifications, often drawing on industry guidance.
So the limits that matter in practice are the ones in your customer's spec. Check those first, then confirm the legal position in your market with your regulator or a food law adviser.
The EU position
EU food law requires food placed on the market to be safe. Salmonella in a spice is treated as a safety problem, and EU border checks and the RASFF alert system regularly report Salmonella in spices from many origins.
The EU sets microbiological criteria for certain foods, but most dried spices do not have a full set of legal numeric limits. Many EU buyers use the European Spice Association's guidance and their own specs for other organisms. Check the current rules with your national food authority.
The US position
In the US, the FDA treats spices containing Salmonella as adulterated. The FDA has published a risk profile on pathogens and filth in spices, and importers fall under FSMA rules that expect hazards such as Salmonella to be controlled. Many US buyers ask for a validated kill step, such as steam sterilisation, before or after import.
Like the EU, the US relies mostly on buyer specs for indicator organisms. Confirm current FDA requirements and your own obligations under FSMA with a US food safety adviser.
What a buyer spec usually covers
Numeric limits vary widely by product, customer and whether the powder will be cooked or eaten raw. A spice sprinkled on ready-to-eat food needs tighter limits than one boiled in a sauce. The organisms usually listed are these.
- Salmonella: absent in a stated sample size, commonly 25 g.
- Total plate count, also called aerobic plate count.
- Yeast and mould.
- E. coli and often coliforms or Enterobacteriaceae.
- Often Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus.
How to meet the limits
Untreated spice powders from any origin often carry a high microbial load, because spices are dried in the open and handled at many stages. If your spec is tight, you will usually need steam sterilisation and good hygiene after treatment. Ask for test results per lot, from a NABL-accredited lab, on samples drawn after sterilisation and packing. Our guide on whether spice powders need steam sterilisation before export covers the choice.
Where we come in
We match your microbiological spec to grinders with the right treatment and hygiene controls, and have each lot tested at a NABL-accredited lab before loading. You receive the original reports. To review your micro spec, ask for a free sourcing review.