Food Safety & Technical Guidance

It is ASTA’s mission to ensure the supply of pure, safe spice. ASTA and it’s members are dedicated to promoting the safety and integrity of the spice supply chain. Supporting public health and protecting consumers is ASTA’s top priority.

ASTA provides a range of programs and publications and conducts research to ensure companies have the tools they need to meet that goal. The resources in this section are available free to members and many are also available free to non-members.  There is a fee for access to educational recordings.

Read ASTA’s LinkedIn Article on prioritizing food safety in recognition of World Food Safety Day 2022.

Not a member yet?  Visit about membership to find out more about the benefits of membership and how to join ASTA.

Analytical MethodsThe official Analytical Methods Manual of the American Spice Trade Association is available to members and industry professionals. ASTA also published the Microscopic Identification of Spice Manual as a reference text for the microscopic or histological identification of pure spices.

Adulteration and Contamination Prevention – Adulteration of spices can pose serious issues, and companies must implement measures to identify, prevent, and mitigate contamination. Spices may be intentionally adulterated for economic reasons; the most common example involves adding materials to make a food product seem more valuable. While this is frequently not a safety issue, it concerns the entire industry. ASTA and other food safety leaders provide several resources to address adulteration and food fraud.
Spices may also be inadvertently exposed to environmental contaminants. ASTA provides members with resources to mitigate the potential presence of naturally occurring elements and agricultural contaminants in spices, including allergens, heavy metals, agricultural chemicals, and food dyes.

Microbial Safety – Due to the environments in which they are grown, spices and herbs often harbor microorganisms, including bacteria. These include potential spoilage organisms and pathogens of public health significance. This page includes information about the presence of microbiological hazards on spices and the control and mitigation of these hazards.This includes information about the presence of microbiological hazards on spices and the control and mitigation of these hazards.

Best Practices and Guidance – ASTA publications ensure companies have the tools they need to meet the goal of safety and integrity of the spice supply chain. These resources in this section are available free to members and many are also available free to non-members. There is a fee for access to educational recordings available.

For questions on any of these resources, please contact [email protected].