One in two packs of oregano in Europe is adulterated

Oregano

Published Nov 27, 2021

Tridge summary

One in two packs of oregano in Europe is adulterated. And more often than not, instead of the much-flavored spice it contains ground olive leaves. It is one of the most salient results of the control plan coordinated by the European Commission and launched by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety.

Original content

This is the first time that national authorities in charge of food controls and the European Commission combine their experiences and resources to focus on the herb and spice sector. The goal, of course, is to protect consumers from fraud and potentially dangerous products. And this made it possible to collect, in 21 Member States plus Switzerland and Norway, nearly 10,000 analyzes on 1885 samples, using a series of state-of-the-art analytical techniques to evaluate the authenticity of six different herbs and spices. In addition to oregano, 17% of the pepper analyzed was found to be adulterated, 14% of cumin, 11% of turmeric, 11% of saffron and 6% of paprika / chilli. The authenticity and purity of herbs and spices have been evaluated according to the relevant ISO standards. In the event that a sample did not comply with these provisions for foreign bodies and total ash, it was considered suspected of adulteration. Don't you know the Lifebuoy? Download an issue of our magazine for ...

Source: Ilsalvagente