Hot stuff

Bite into a fresh chilli by mistake and you will get an inkling of the effect the Sudan 1 crisis had on European food markets in 2005.But in the case of the illegal dye, the burning sensation was all about people's fingers being chargrilled up and down the supply chain as a wide range of products were withdrawn and industry credibility suffered.

Sudan 1, a known carcinogen, was identified in chilli ingredients over Europe. But as food safety and traceability specialist Bodycote LawLabs explains, nowhere was the response quite as dramatic as in the UK. Says marketing director Liz Paterson: "For British retailers, due diligence on own-label products means that you have to demonstrate control over them." In other words, it is not enough in these cases to rely on a manufacturer's in-house checks.

Despite some interest in its services from international retailers, she says, these same due diligence and brand protection imperatives don't seem to apply elsewhere.

There is a consumer confidence and marketing aspect to this, she adds, and probably a greater fear of litigation in the UK. However, Bodycote technical director Dave Petford believes that similar levels of surveillance exist in other EU countries.

The firm offers its Valid-IT package to retailers, potentially providing a traceability component for controlled spices and non-GM ingredients, but also demonstrating appropriate, independent testing. Petford says: "With the controls that have been put in place, the frequency of reported misuse has reduced over the last 18 months or so." This is probably more to do with greater discipline and frequency in checking than any increased sophistication in testing techniques, he suggests.

Out of hot water?​

Does this mean that the risk of Sudan 1-style contamination has passed? Far from it, according to Dutch-based Verstegen Spices & Sauces. "That was the first one, but at this moment we have 19 illegal dyes that we test for," warns R&D manager Peter Santegoets. "When we purchase our raw materials, any risk of illegal dyes has to be entered on the certificate. That's the first control point. The second is when the products are ground. The third is on demand from customers when the product is blended."

One of the challenges, says Bodycote, is the complex supply chain behind many herbs and spices. It bears more of a resemblance to a tree than a chain, branching out from a handful of importers via agents, blenders and traders to around seven times that number of suppliers, says Paterson.

In the past, there has also been a strong element of mystification in this business, which does not help when traceability is one of your main concerns. "We used to come across people who claimed to be the exclusive UK distributor of a particular product, when they were nothing of the sort," she says. "And the most complex element was confidentiality, where the exact composition and origin of spice blends was said, for example, to be 'known to only two people in the company'."

In general terms, says extracts supplier Kalsec, greater concerns over adulteration have increased the burden of bureaucracy. Kalsec Europe md Paul Filby contrasts his company, which cultivates much of its own ingredients in the US, with the many traders which, as Bodycote explains, are often part of a long supply chain. "It's particularly difficult for traders having to provide traceability with, for instance, cloves from Madagascar," Filby says.

"There has always been a testing burden and a requirement for certificates of analysis," he admits. "But now it's all far more in-depth." Finalising supply contracts can take much longer, and may involve a 40-page specification, he says, with only a hint of exaggeration.

The rest of Europe does not demand quite so much detail when it comes to analysis and traceability, Filby reports. "But customers can be somewhat more demanding in terms of food intolerance - rather than allergens, where declaration is a legal requirement. It stretches much further in some other parts of the EU."

For a firm with its primary operations in the US, and offices in the UK and Benelux, the lack of common international auditing standards might be expected to add even more levels of bureaucracy. But in other ways, Kalsec has an easier time than many, says Filby. "We are fortunate in producing a lot of our herbs and spices ourselves," he says. "In other cases we deal directly with suppliers, as with annatto from Peru."

In the wake of Sudan 1, Kalsec says it saw a positive effect on its extracts business. But more recent moves towards extracts are more about shelf-life and storage benefits than certification hurdles, says Filby. "With ground black pepper, you'll start to see a decline in quality after as little as two months, while extracts will be stable for one or even two years," he claims.

Filby mentions a large European soup manufacturer that is considering a move to extracts, having used dry products in the past. Here, shelf-life is an issue, but so too is the 10:1 ratio in storage space required respectively for dry products and extracts, he points out. The time taken to rehydrate dry product can also be a drawback.

Traditionally, he says, extraction has used permitted solvents. But in the past five years, Kalsec has processed products such as cumin, fennel, mace, celery and paprika on an extrusion press. Apart from being more economical, says Filby, it has advantages in supply to organic food markets, where the use of solvents is frowned upon.

New applications​

Market research company RTS Resource reports that around two-thirds of the herbs and spices consumed in food processing applications around the EU15 end up in three product areas. In 2007, it says, meat and savoury products accounted for some 117,200t, ready meals for around 56,800t, and snacks for 46,490t.

Non-mainstream applications such as breakfast cereals and soft drinks are showing some of the highest growth rates, but generally from a very low base.

So what trends are there in terms of products? Verstegen's Santegoets says: "What's coming up is a greater variety of peppers. I'm talking about Szechuan pepper from China, the Maniguette pepper from Africa and various kinds of chilli peppers like the Chipotle, Habanero and the Poblano. The origin of the chillies is mostly South America. The trend is towards products which are more spicy, but not only hot and pungent."

Finally, spices are increasingly sought after for their colour as much as their flavour. Filby at Kalsec reports that around 70% of his firm's development work is in replacing artificial colours. Turmeric, annatto and paprika are the prime contenders.

Having been knocked for six by one illegal dye, and under threat from more, could the sector be avenging itself on the market in its sweet-and-spicy way?

Herb-and-spice hotspots

Herbs and spices are far from being the most substantial ingredient in any given meal or product. Nonetheless, the EU15 Member States consumed a sizzling total of over 308,000t in industrial food applications in 2007.

But the latest RTS Resource report on the Global Market for Seasonings, Herbs and Spices also forecasts that the average annual growth rate of 1.7% in the five years to 2007 will remain largely unchanged to 2012, when it predicts a total tonnage of 338,800t.

The UK population's devotion to ethnic cuisine means that it remains far-and-away the largest European market. At over 99,000t, its share represents nearly one third of the total for the EU15. And yet the UK market's relatively low growth rate of 1.2% pa since 2002 is likely to continue. Germany holds a distant second place for industrial consumption of herbs and spices with annual consumption of 55,770t, according to RTS.

One of the steepest increases in demand has been seen in Spain, with annual volume growth rates of 4% taking the country to a 2007 total of 30,300 tonnes, and with growth to 2012 estimated at 3.2% pa. Greece and Ireland are also expected to grow at around 3% a year over this period.