The mission of The Seasoning and Spice Association is to be the leading voice of the UK Seasoning and Spice industry in the interests of members, food manufacturers and consumers alike.
The SSA's principal objective is to promote the interests of its members in all aspects of the importation, processing and distribution of seasonings, herbs, spices ad related products.
The Seasoning and Spice Association is a member of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
30 July 2019 - Seasoning and Spice Association position statement on
Pyrrolizidine
Alkaloids
The Seasoning and Spice Association (SSA) represents the UK's leading spice and
seasoning
processors and supports the production of safe and wholesome foods. All matters
relating to the
health and safety of consumers are a priority for SSA and its Members.
Background
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PAs) are a group of natural toxins found in a wide
variety of plants. With
few exceptions e.g. borage, plant species traded as herbs and spices are not
thought to form PAs
themselves. PAs in herbs and spices are most likely to be linked to the
presence
of weed species in
the finished product
and therefore have their origin in agricultural practices, however other
sources
remain a possibility.
Regulatory Framework
No current regulations exist in the UK or EU. However, a draft EU regulation has
been published
proposing maximum levels [1] for these compounds in a variety of foods,
including herbs and spices.
Current SSA Position
The SSA is committed to the application of the ALARA principle (as low as
reasonable
achievable) for PAs. We and our members are working with the European Spice
Association (ESA),
partner laboratories and producers/growers to:
- Understand the source and scope of PAs in herbs and spices
- Develop best agricultural practices for PA mitigation, using as a model the Code
of Practice
developed by the Tea and Herbal Infusions Industry [2]
- Implement best practice solutions for PA reduction across multiple crops and
growing
locations
We will continue to lobby the EU and UK authorities, alongside our ESA partners,
for practical
and achievable legislation which provides:
- An appropriate transition period to allow mitigation measures to be assessed and
implemented
- Reasonable Maximum Limits, which are science-based and achievable
- A standardised test method for PAs
- A reference to a sampling plan which recognises the non-homogeneity of PAs
within herbs
and spices (similar to the model for aflatoxins [3])
At this time, members are advised to evaluate their supply chain and to ensure
awareness of this
topic amongst their suppliers.
References and further sources of information
1 Proposed maximum levels for pyrrolizidine alkaloids as discussed at
Working
Group Agricultural Contaminants for
targeted consultation of stakeholder organisations (link).
2 Code of Practice to Prevent and Reduce Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid
Contamination in
Raw Materials for Tea and Herbal
Infusions (link)
3 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 401/2006 of 23 February 2006
laying
down the methods of sampling and
analysis for the official control of the levels of mycotoxins in foodstuffs (link)
15 June 2016 - Open Letter to the British Retail Consortium, Food and Drink
Federation and Seasoning and Spice Association
I was aware that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) had organised a workshop for
industry to discuss the issues of authenticity of herbs and spices on sale in
the
UK following reports of fraud perpetrated in North America in 2015. I was
delighted that the FSA had taken this leadership role. I was also made aware
that the
industry had agreed to develop guidelines to help protect themselves and
ultimately the consumer from fraud. I thought this a very positive outcome to
the
workshop.
The 'Guidance on Authenticity of Herbs and Spices' was published this week and I
reviewed the document with great interest. My analysis is that a
well-described,
very coherent nine point plan has been produced that is both extremely robust
and practical. While no plan is ever full proof the UK Herbs and Spices
industry,
if they stick to their own guidelines, will be a substantially better place
than
ever before in terms of deterring fraud in this very vulnerable sector of the
food industry.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of those involved in
the development of this guideline for taking a major leadership role in further
protecting the UK consumer and good name of the UK food industry. While each
food
sector is different I believe that a template has been produced that can be
used
by many different areas of the food industry to provide practical guidance to
business to protect the UK from food fraud.
Professor Chris Elliott
Author of the Elliott Review on the Integrity and Assurance of Food Supply
Networks Pro Vice Chancellor, Queen's University, Belfast.
23 July 2015 – Seasoning and Spice Association Position Statement on the survey
by Which? magazine on the authenticity of oregano
“The Seasoning and Spice Association (SSA) members take matters of food
authenticity very seriously.
To ensure the quality and integrity of products, SSA members have in place a
series of fully implemented process controls to protect themselves and
ultimately
their customers from fraud. These controls are based on well-established good
manufacturing practices (GMPs) and sound food safety management systems (FSMS).
Furthermore SSA members are committed to purchase all their products from
approved
suppliers in order to ensure full traceability of their products at all stages
of production, processing and distribution. Useful current methodologies to
identify the presence of undeclared substances can include microscopy,
organoleptic
and analytical testing of volatile oil content.
The majority of oregano sold in the UK is authentic, as this survey indicates.
That some samples have been found to contain large quantities of bulking
substances instead of oregano is unacceptable and undermines the efforts of
many
suppliers to ensure the integrity of this supply chain.
We are working with the FSA and retailers to ensure that the most up to date
knowledge and good manufacturing practices are shared more widely to ensure
more
companies can identify and manage the risk of food fraud more effectively.”
Version 1 – 23 July 2015
30 June 2015 - SSA's Position Statement on Undeclared Allergens in Cumin and Paprika Products
following the FSA News
Story on Rescinded Recall.
For further information see SSA's
Q&A.
For further information about Product Alerts see
Anaphylaxis Campaign website
Food and drink manufacturers rely on their supply chains to ensure consumer
choice,
affordability, consistent quality of products and continuity of supply. Any
supply chain, no matter how
simple or complex, can present risks that need to be adequately managed. As the
global supply
system comes under increasing pressure from population increase, growing demand
for limited
resources and changing diets, companies also need to be alert to the potential
for food fraud and
actively work with their customers and suppliers to identify and mitigate the
risks of food fraud.
FDF's Food Authenticity: Five steps to help protect your business from food
fraud available
here