FSSAI Guidelines for Spices, Export Guidelines, Quality Checks, Approval, Fees, and Compliance Requirements

Indian spices market is worth Rs 40,000 crore annually. Major spices produced in the country include chili, ginger, pepper, cardamom, coriander, cumin, turmeric, celery, fennel, fenugreek, ajwain, dill seed, garlic, tamarind, clove, and nutmeg among others.

The market is mostly unorganized and the exclusive segment makes up about 15%. The organized market is dominated by players such as MTR, Badshaah, Catch, Everest, Ramdev etc. Recently, Tata Chemicals launched its spices brand known as Tata Sampann Spices to cater to this segment.

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Indian export around 50 different spices to the international market. Spice exports from India grew up to USD 627 million during the first quarter of fiscal year 2015-16 as compared to approximately USD 512 million in the same period last year. India exports around 215,225 tons of spices during the first quarter of fiscal year 2015-16 as compared with 213,443 tons in the same period last year.

As per the analysis done by major research players, the Indian spices market is projected to grow by approximately USD 18 billion by 2020. The Indian government is strongly promoting spice exports through several initiatives such as the setting up of spice parks. Spice  Parks suggests common processing facilities for both producers and exporters.

Now in order to boost the export and make the spice industry more organized, It is important for the Food Business Operator to keep the high-quality standard of the spices they are manufacturing, selling, storing, and distributing in the market. For countries across the world, food safety and hygiene are the critical features.

To ensure food quality, there are several laws and regulations formulated by FSSAI to check manufacturers from producing food of low-grade quality, or food which is likely to be adulterated and contaminated by impurities, additives or poisonous substances.

Quality Requirements of Spices For Export

Developed countries like the USA, Europe, Australia, Canada, etc. are the major markets for our specie exports. These developed countries have their own strict food laws and regulations. The key objective of the laws is to protect the health and safety of their citizens. These developed countries allow the import of spices only when they conform to the provisions of their food laws and regulations.

Why Spices quality?

The developed countries give importance to the health of their citizens. These Import/Export laws are meant to protect consumers from spices of lower quality, or food likely to be polluted by impurities or hazardous substances. Therefore, for any spices item that we export, be it pepper, cardamom, ginger, etc., it is vital that the product conforms to the quality standards demanded by the importing country. Food materials that have become rotted, damaged, infected with micro-organisms, or polluted by other pollutants are either destroyed by the import authorities or sent back to the exporting country. This not only results in market loss but also kills the exporting country's reputation.

Factors affecting the quality of food products produced

Right from the primary stages of production to the time till the food reaches the consumer, the farmer has to fight many unfavorable conditions. Among these are micro-organisms, pests, etc., which infest the farmland, foreign substances which may be hazardous or otherwise, poisonous substances or impurities which get into food from materials used in processing, micro-organisms, and dirt introduced into the food product through unhygienic practices of the people who handle the foodstuffs, as well as loss of quality that results from short-comings in food storage practices.

Definition of adulterated food

The word 'adulterated' has a different meaning in the developed countries. Food products affected by microbes, pests, or fungi become adulterated and unfit for human consumption. The occurrence of foreign matter, moisture content above permissible levels, scums of pesticides, the occurrence of other chemicals, etc., make food unfit for human consumption. Importing countries like USA and EU hold imported foods when they found that these were produced and processed under unhygienic conditions, and take further action depending on the degree of adulteration.

For food items/products or spices that the FBO exports or imports, be it pepper, cardamom, turmeric or ginger, it is important that the product conforms to the minimum quality standards and regulations demanded by the country. Also, the countries frequently revise their laws related to food safety and quality measures on the basis of new findings. It's also advisable to get in touch with FSSAI for any updates. Food safety regulations are progressively becoming strict for the welfare and safety of the citizens.

Quality Guidelines for some of the Spices:

Spices must have characteristic odor and flavor and must be free from foreign flavor and mustiness. It must be free from all types of mold, stones, sand, soil, living and dead insects, insect fragments, and rodent pollution. The product must be free from added coloring matter, foreign vegetable matter, and other hazardous substances.

Spices product must confirm the following basic standards

Cinnamon (Dalchini)

• Extraneous material equals to or less than 1 % by weight
• Moistureequals to or less than 12 % by weight
• Total ash on a dry basis equals to or less than 7 percent by weight
• Ash insoluble in dilute HCL on a dry basis equals to or less than 2% by weight
• Volatile oil content on a dry basis equals to or more than 0.5 % by volume and weight

Cinnamon (Dalchini)

• Moistureequals to less than 12 % by weight
• Total ash on dry basis equals to orless than 7 % by weight
• Ash insoluble in dilute HCL on the dry equals to or basis less than 2 % by weight
• Volatile oil content on a dry basis equals to or more than 0.5 % by weight

Ginger (Sonth, Adrak)

• Extraneous matter equals to or less than 1 % by weight
• Moistureequals to less than 12 % by weight
• Total ash on a dry basis

1. Unbleached equals to or less than 8 % by weight
2. Bleached equals to or less than 12 % by weight

• Calcium as Calcium oxide on a dry basis

1. Unbleached equals to or less than 1.1 % by weight
2. Bleached equals to or less than 2 % by weight

• Volatile oil content on a dry basis equals to or more than 1 % by volume or weight
• Insect-damaged matter equals to less than 1 % by weight

Turmeric (Haldi)

• Extraneous matter equals to orless than 1 % by weight
• Defective Rhizomesequals to less than 5 % by weight
• Moistureequals to less than 12 % by weight
• Insect damaged matter equals to or less than 1 % by weight
• Test for lead chromate must be negative

The major responsibility for food safety rests with the Food business operator and its operational activities while producing end product. So, it’s very much important for the FBOs to implement rules and procedures that support in maintaining food safety and quality standards throughout the supply chain, starting from raw material buying then manufacturing, packaging and selling it to the end consumers.