At the 2026 Annual Meeting Pre-Conference Symposium, Elevating Spices in Today’s Health-Focused Food Regulatory Landscape explored how spices can play a pivotal role in the evolution of U.S. food policy, including in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) priorities. From health policy to regulatory trends, consumer research, and practical applications of using spices for color and as alternatives to salt and sugar, attendees will walk away with a clear understanding of how the spice sector can naturally add flavor and color to whole, healthy foods.

Learn more about the open FS & FQ Manager role at Badia Spices, LLC

In April 2026, ASTA submitted comments in response to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) request for information (RFI) on labeling and cross-contact of gluten in packaged foods, which specifically referenced ingredients that can be declared using collective terms, such as spices. ASTA's comments highlight that no spices inherently contain gluten, note that FDA should take a scientific, risk-based approach to unintended gluten presence, and express support for consistency with existing FDA requirements and harmonization with internal standards for gluten labeling.

On November 28, the Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Authority (BPOM) provided written responses to frequently asked questions regarding the scope and implementation of new import certification requirements for spices from certain regions of Indonesia based on the potential risk of contamination with Cesium-137 (Cs-137).

ASTA hosted a member only update presented by FDA Compliance Officer, Mark Esteves, on Import certification (IC) 801(q) Cesium 137 for certain products from certain regions of Indonesia. This is the PDF of FDA's presentation.

The FDA is implementing import certification requirements under Section 801(q) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (added by FSMA Section 303) for certain foods from certain regions of Indonesia due to Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination risks. This was based on information available, including detection of elevated levels of Cs-137 in several shipments, including shrimp and cloves, FDA sample analysis, and known sources of contamination in the region. This one-pager provides what you need to know for shipping products subject to Import Alert (IA) 99-52.