FDA Meets with Spice Industry to Examine Supply Safety

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reportedly met with spice industry representatives to consider ways to make spices safer amid a nationwide Salmonella outbreak linked to black and red pepper. According to a news source, FDA wants companies to prevent contamination by using one of three methods to rid spices of bacteria: irradiation, steam heating or fumigation with the pesticide ethylene oxide. The American Spice Trade Association is expected to address the issue at its annual meeting to be held April 25-28, 2010, in Naples, Florida.

Although FDA does not possess authority to order manufacturers to treat their products, the agency recently reaffirmed its intention to take a closer look at spice handling “from farm to table” and to create a spice risk profile focusing on “microbiological contaminants and filth issues related to spices.” As FDA stated in a March 17, 2010, press release, this risk profile will help determine the best way to mitigate foodborne illness issues associated with spices, including “how to allocate resources, whether guidance for industry or for FDA inspectors is appropriate, or even the need for new rulemaking.”

“The bottom line is, if there are readily available validated processes out there to reduce the risk of contamination, our expectation is that they will use them,” Jeff Farrar, FDA’s associate commissioner for food safety, was quoted as saying. See The Washington Post, March 14, 2010.