Herb and Spice Fraud | 2024 in Review
Herbs and spices are consistently among the top adulterated food categories worldwide. Their high value, global demand, and powdered or fragmented form make them particularly vulnerable to fraud.
Learn more about herb and spice fraud here: 2023 Webinar on fraud in Herbs & Spices
In this article, we explore the what, where and how of herb and spice fraud in 2024. Reviewing past food fraud incidents provides valuable insights into emerging threats and patterns, helping businesses proactively safeguard their supply chains.
What defines an “incident”?
A documented case of food fraud, often reported by the media, government agencies, or industry watchdogs, detailing the perpetrator, the type of fraud committed, and the geographical location of the occurrence.
What incidents occurred?
According to the FoodChain ID Food Fraud Database, 2024 saw 28 recorded incidents of fraud in the herb and spice category, with many repeat targets that are valued for their strong colours and flavours.
Among the reported cases, the most affected spices were:
- Chilli Powder – 6 incidents
- Turmeric (Powdered) – 4 incidents
- Curry Spice Mix – 4 incidents
- Saffron – 2 incidents
Other individual cases involved fenugreek, coriander powder, cinnamon powder, sumac, paprika, oregano, thyme, and mint.
Where were these incidents reported?
The highest number of reported cases originated from India, Turkey and Pakistan.
These countries are major spice producers, and their involvement in fraud cases underscores the challenges within global spice supply chains.
How was fraud committed?
Fraudsters frequently use dyes to improve the appearance and thus perceived quality of spices, as well as bulking agents to increase the volume of herbs and spices.
The most common adulterants detected in 2024 included:
- Synthetic dyes, such as Sudan red – especially in red, orange, and yellow-coloured spices
- Bulking agents of botanical origin, such as powdered wood, ground wheat bran, ground nut shells, corn flour and rice flour.
Adulterants like these can compromise food safety and lead to potential health risks, especially for individuals with allergies.
Why is it important to manage food fraud?
Food fraud can threaten a company’s brand and reputation, and may put consumer health at risk. Role players in food supply networks are liable for managing product vulnerabilities, and are legally required to meet the requirements stipulated in the relevant South African regulations.
Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards such as FSSC and BRC certifications require a VACCP system to be in place for food fraud prevention. Use our easy-to-follow infographic when creating and implementing your VACCP system.
How FACTS can help?
Food fraud continues to be a persistent issue, making proactive prevention crucial. FACTS provides key tools to help businesses mitigate risks effectively. These include:
Incident Scanning
An essential part of a VACCP system is gathering reputable information to help you identify risks and conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments. Incident scanning is a valuable exercise to review historic acts of food fraud relating to certain raw materials.
FACTS offers incident scanning services and solutions that can be tailored to your business’s needs. Similar to the information in this review, we can provide you with the what, where and how’s of food fraud incidents relevant to your raw materials, at your requested time intervals.
Contact our team today to learn more or obtain a quotation.
Testing for adulterants
Another valuable tool that can be implemented as a countermeasure in your VACCP system is testing. FACTS can assist with various testing approaches to help detect fraudulent components in spices, including:
- Microscopic analysis – examines individual spice components using reference texts to verify purity, and detect adulterants based on morphological features.
- Dye screens (outsourced) – checks for the presence of common red and orange dyes, a frequent marker of fraud.
- DNA analysis – tests for the presence of certain common adulterants that are unable to be distinguished by microscopy
Depending on the risk level or identified vulnerabilities, FACTS can facilitate other specialized tests to confirm the authenticity of herbs and spices.
Our expert team helps take the guesswork out of food fraud and authenticity testing, so reach out to us today to discuss your concerns or get a quotation.