Conscious Choice: Organic Spices

May 1998

Organic Spices

by Barbra Cohn

Black pepper berries were discovered long ago on a vine in the jungles of India, and by the fourth century B.C., pepper had become one of the world’s most precious seasonings. Centuries later, explorers began crossing unchartered seas in search of other seasonings to preserve and flavor food. Today, black pepper still reigns as a bestseller. Only now, there are numerous varieties of pepper and other spices to choose from.

Ethnic cuisine has become an integral part of the American way of life, and more and more people are experimenting with spices that were once considered exotic. In fact, according to the American Spice Trade Association, 1995 American spice consumption amounted to 3.1 pounds per person, an increase of a pound from the 1976 per capita consumption.

Consumers are more discriminating than ever about the taste and quality of the seasonings that make eating "the spice of life." This demand for quality, coupled with the plethora of information about healthy living, have led to the organic spice category growing three times faster than the overall spice category.

Organic vs. non-organic: what’s the difference?
Organic spices, like other organic food products, are grown on land that has been free from the use of synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators, insecticides or herbicides for at least three years. Farmers compost, rotate crops, and interplant ground covers to control pests and weeds and replenish the soil — all in an effort to sustain the health of the earth.

"People think organic means no chemicals. But it’s much more than that," says Sylvia Blanchet, co-owner with husband Thomas Fricke of ForesTrade, Inc. a Brattleboro, Vermont-based company that produces organic spices by working with farmers in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Guatemala.

"You can’t get organic certification just because you don’t use chemicals. You need to be growing things in a sustainable way over the long term," says Blanchet. "Certifiers accredited by the International Federation of Agricultural Movement (IFOAM) look to see if there are measures to protect the vegetation and soil, prevent erosion, and assure that the crops are not being over-harvested. Some certifiers are stiffer than others. We try to pick those with a lot of integrity," she emphasizes.

"And we’re not just inspected on the farm. Certifiers look at how we transport the spices, how we store them, how we ship them. Our warehouse and the processors also need to be inspected. It entails a lot of paper work," adds Blanchet.

According to the guidelines established by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, farmers and processors must also pass yearly inspections by an independent certifying agency, keep detailed records of operations, and maintain a written organic management plan.

Since many spices are grown and harvested outdoors, there is an increased chance that they may contain bits of foreign matter like twigs, leaves, insects, stones and dirt before they are shipped to processors and manufacturers. Cathy Berg, a marketing manager at Frontier Natural Products Co-op, a large U.S. distributor of organic herbs and spices, says that "The nature of the industry is that anything harvested outdoors will have foreign matter. Once pre-shipment samples are received by Frontier, they undergo rigorous laboratory testing, and as a result, approximately 50 to 60 percent of these pre-shipment samples are rejected because they don’t meet Frontier’s stringent quality specifications and standards," says Berg. "Some foreign matter, like leaves, stones and twigs, is removed by cleaning equipment when the spices are processed, and other matter is eliminated during fumigation and sterilization. Any foreign matter that cannot be removed through either of these two methods will cause the product sample to be rejected," she adds.

Spices often have a high microorganism count — just like the air we breathe — which can result in food spoilage and illness. Sterilization is necessary to destroy microorganism growth and reproduction capability. Although irradiation is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sterilizing spices, those that are certified organic may not be irradiated. Heat sterilization and the use of carbon dioxide chambers are the preferred methods for processing organic spices. Heat sterilization isn’t suitable for treating all spices, however, because it can destroy some of the essential oils and flavors. And CO2 will kill bugs and their eggs, but won’t sterilize the spices.

Non-organic spices might be sterilized with toxic chemicals like ethylene oxide (EtO) or methyl bromide. EtO is primarily used to make other compounds like ethylene glycol, a chemical in antifreeze and polyester, and to sterilize medical equipment. It’s highly combustible and, according to a 1990 public health statement from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, EtO may cause harmful health effects in humans who are in constant contact with it (irritation of eyes, skin and mucous membranes, miscarriage, leukemia, stomach and pancreatic cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, problems with brain and nerve functioning).

Dried spices are allowed the highest radiation treatment level by far, because the FDA rationalizes that: 1) spices constitute a minor part of our diets and the effects on our bodies are diluted by the foods they season; 2) the low moisture content in spices is said to make them safer to irradiate; 3) a high dose of radiation (as much as 3,000,000 rads) is required to kill insects and bacteria and extend shelf life. According to Food & Water Journal (Winter, 1997), "Irradiation advocates often argue that a switch to irradiation sterilization would eliminate the use of these poisons. But major spice companies are unwilling to replace the risks caused by chemicals with different risks caused by radiation. They have instead developed safe economical steam sterilization methods that use no chemical additives, produce no dangerous by-products, and cause no loss of color or flavor."

There is no written irradiation warning required for spices or dehydrated vegetables, and under the new FDA reform bill passed last November, even the radura symbol, a stylized flower, is no longer required on the bottle label to indicate that it’s been irradiated. It is unlikely this will change when the new U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic standards are put into place.

At least for now, it’s reassuring that even though the major spice companies don’t offer an organic line, McCormick, which dominates the nation’s spice business with 40 percent of the consumer market, "does not irradiate any of its consumer products, has no plans to, and will not without full public disclosure." Furthermore, McCormick "is constantly exploring various methods to determine the safest, most efficient and appropriate method of sterilization," according to a company statement released in September 1996.

Where are Organic Spices Produced?
Spices are site specific, meaning they need particular climates and soils in which to grow. The most popular spices grow in Indonesia, India, China, Brazil, Tanzania, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Guatemala. A significant number of organic projects have been set up by ForesTrade, the largest U.S. producer of organic spices. ForesTrade co-founder Thomas Fricke was working with the World Wildlife Federation in Sumatra, Indonesia when he was asked to work out an incentive plan to stop the farmers from encroaching on boundaries of a large national park there. The plan was created to reduce the pressures on the area’s rain forests, wildlife, watersheds, and rice farming systems.

As it turns out, that area is the largest cinnamon growing area in the world, and Fricke quickly discovered there were spice farmers all around the preserve. The World Wildlife staff and the farmers’ associations helped him choose respected farmers who were trained to work as extension agents to help the other farmers get organically certified.

"Thomas ended up developing a whole-systems approach to give farmers incentives to honor the park boundaries and help their livelihoods at the same time," says Blanchet. "We encourage them to grow crops in a sustainable way, protect the land, and increase their income. We used the original project as a template, and now we have hundreds of farmers lining up wanting to join our project because they earn significantly more and get the support of our extension agents.

"What became clear when Thomas did the cinnamon project is that there are hardly any organic spices on the market," continues Blanchet. "It’s an extremely complex process to grow the spices and import them. It’s taken us two years to get the business in place, based on 20 years of work. What I’m feeling is that we’re putting a lot of systems in place so it’ll become easier and more cost-effective for our customers and the consumers to buy organic, sustainably-produced spices," says Blanchet.

According to Jagat Joti Khalsa, sales manager of Yogi Botanicals, an international distributor of organic teas, herbs, and spices, his parent company Golden Temple has spent the past seven years in partnership with ForesTrade, converting its products over to organics, and helping develop the Sumatra cinnamon project. Although the demand for organic spices greatly exceeds the current supply, Khalsa is confident that a larger selection of organic spices will be available in the next decade.

"You’ll start seeing an organic spice trade at least as big as Europe’s," says Khalsa. "America is totally untapped. Think about what 1975 looked like in the natural foods industry. Now natural foods are totally accessible and available. The same thing will happen with organic spices. As we’re able to develop sources that are 100 percent convertible and secure, the production costs will come down and the supply will increase. It’s clearly based on consumer desire and demand," he says.

For now, the important thing to do, says Blanchet, is "support the development of sustainable agriculture and organic farmers around the world."

Barbra Cohn is the owner of Boulder Freelance Writers, a firm specializing in writing for the natural products industry. She can be reached at 303-447-8300.

Storing Spices
Spices contain natural oils, and are minimally processed without the addition of artificial flavors or colors. To preserve the flavor and color:

Never expose spices to heat or sunlight.

Don’t place your spice rack on top of the stove.

Grind whole pepper corns, nutmeg, coriander, cardamom seeds, etc. to extend shelf life.

Organic Spice Producers, Suppliers and Distributors
ForesTrade, the largest world producer of organic spices. 8C Park Place, Brattleboro, VT 05301; 800-989-4399.

Trout Farm, the largest grower of organic botanicals in the U.S. 149 Little Mountain Road, Trout Lake, WA 98650; 800-655-6988.

Frontier Natural Products Co-op, 2990 Wilderness Place, Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80301; 800-729-5422.

Yogi Botanicals, 2545 Prairie Road, Eugene, OR 97402; 800-285-6457.

Starwest Botanicals, Inc. , 11253 Trade Center Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742; 800-800-4372.

The Spice Hunter, 254 Granada Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401; 800-444-3061.

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