Do you have new employees who are just getting introduced to the spice industry? This series covers the history of spices, an overview of the spice market, what spices are and where they come from, and critical issues in the spice industry today.
Part I – History of Spices and Overview of the Spice Market
This session will kick-off the series with an exploration of the long and colorful history of the movement of spices
around the globe. Throughout the ages, significant discoveries were made in the search for spices, and fortunes were
made in their distribution. The presentation will discuss the different roles of spice merchants in modern practice as
well as the role of ASTA. It will conclude with an overview of the different types of customers and end-users of spices
and a look at key market considerations.
Part II – A Global Industry – What Spices Are and Where They Come From
This session will provide a basic education on spice and herb farm production, including an explanation of the definition of spices and herbs and an overview of where they are sourced. Further, the presentation will show a visual demonstration of what spices and herbs are, how they are grown, and primary global production sites.
Part III – Key Issues in the Spice Industry
This segment of the Spices Webinar will address key food safety, quality and regulatory issues which are of concern to the industry. It is essential that new buyers have an awareness of these issues to assure that they access only clean, wholesome, safe and regulatory compliant materials. The discussion will include food safety basics: microbiology, allergens, economic adulteration, physical hazards and chemical hazards with a focus on quality and regulatory implications in addition to food safety risks.
* Please make sure you login as an ASTA member to receive the member rate. Non-members, contact ASTA for a login user name to register online.
About the Speakers:
 Tom Erd, (retired) President/co-owner The Spice House Tom has served as President/co-owner at The Spice House since he and wife Patricia bought the company in 1992. The Spice House was a family business and Patty had worked there for her parents since she was 8 and Tom had worked there for 10 years before they purchased the business. Tom and Patty expanded the business and built stores in Milwaukee, Evanston, IL and Chicago. Their first web site was completed in 2000 and the business took off. Tom then built spice processing areas next to a new fulfillment center and added additional warehousing. The Spice House has been featured on The Food Network with host Alton Brown on “Good Eats” filming an episode at the Evanston location. The late Julia Child called The Spice House “a national treasure”. The Erd’s have won several awards including Chicago Tribune’s “Good Eating Award” and Evanston’s “Small Business of the Year”. Tom and Patty are regular public speakers on The Lore and Lure of Spices and called on often to speak on spicy subjects at several Midwestern culinary schools. Tom retired in 2019 and he and his wife are still tangentially involved in the Spice House. |
 Al Goetze (retired) Chief Spice Buyer, McCormick Global Ingredients Limited Al Goetze was the Chief Spice Buyer at McCormick Global Ingredients Limited. He had been with McCormick for more than 40 years and was responsible for the procurement of spices and herbs from around the globe. In this role, Mr. Goetze and his team regularly traveled to more than 40 countries, sourcing the highest quality herbs and spices available from some of the world’s most exotic and beautiful regions. During their travels, the team visited suppliers and farms to gather on-the-ground crucial information about the growing environment for the spices and herbs, such as weather conditions and market factors. The team walked the fields and the local markets to ensure they were receiving real-time, real-world information on everything related to growing conditions, including any potential impact local economic or political activities might have on production. During his career, Mr. Goetze served as Board Director on several McCormick businesses, including McCormick Global Ingredients Limited; AVT McCormick Ingredients, LTD in Cochin, India; and PT Sumatera Tropical Spices in Padang, Indonesia. He served a two-year term as President of the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) and has also served on the ASTA Board as a director. Mr. Goetze graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Business Administration, with a concentration in agricultural economics |
 Roger T. Lawrence Lawrence & Associate Consultants, LLC [email protected] Mr. Lawrence was formerly a Corporate Officer and Vice President of Global Quality and Regulatory Affairs for McCormick & Company, Inc. He was responsible for Quality, Food Safety and Regulatory strategic direction and operational guidance as well as functional oversight throughout the corporation’s worldwide operations and supply chain. He provided functional support to retail, food service and industrial customers. During his career, he served as the President of the Board of Directors for the American Spice Trade Association. He also served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the International Food Information Council (IFIC), and he served on the Executive Committee of GMA (Grocery Manufacturers of America) Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Council, and the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Food Products Association prior to its merger with GMA. He is a professional member of the Institute of Food Technologists, a senior member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Society for Quality. |
