How to Write a Spice Quality Specification

Start with species and form

A specification begins with unambiguous identity. Name the botanical species, not just the common name — this matters most for cinnamon, where cassia (Cinnamomum cassia) is high-coumarin and true Ceylon cinnamon (C. zeylanicum) is very low, and India schedules them as separate spices. Then fix the form: whole, cracked, cut or ground, and for ground add mesh size.

Fix the grade parameters

Grade is spice-specific and must be numeric. Turmeric: curcumin band by origin (Alleppey-type 4–6%, Erode 2.5–3%, Nizamabad 1.5–2.25%). Chilli: SHU and ASTA colour (Sannam S4 35,000–45,000 SHU / ASTA 100–120; Byadgi ASTA 130–150). Cumin: purity (Singapore 99%, Europe 99.5%). Pepper: bulk density (MG1 ~500–550 g/l, TGEB 550+ g/l). Cardamom: capsule size (6–8mm, AGEB).

Set physical and cleanliness limits

Add a moisture ceiling (export turmeric finger typically ≤12%), extraneous-matter and foreign-matter limits, and any colour or appearance criteria. Moisture protects against mould and aflatoxin; cleanliness limits protect against padding a lot with stalk, dust or stones.

Write in the contaminant and micro limits

Close the spec with the destination’s safety limits so they are contractual, not assumed: aflatoxin B1 5 µg/kg and total aflatoxins 10 µg/kg, ochratoxin A 15 µg/kg (20 for dried chillies), Salmonella absent in 25 g, ethylene oxide 0.1 mg/kg default (banned in the EU — require steam sterilisation), and any spice-specific adulterant screen.

How YouPals helps

YouPals helps you draft a specification suppliers can actually be held to, then enforces it. We turn your market’s legal limits and your product needs into a numeric spec, approve it on a sample, and run pre-shipment QC against it. We do not process spice, so the spec is written for your protection, not to suit an owned line.

Frequently asked

Why name the botanical species in a spice spec?

Because common names hide legal differences — cassia is high in coumarin while true Ceylon cinnamon is very low, and India treats them as separate spices, so “cinnamon” alone is not enough.

Should contaminant limits go in the specification?

Yes. Writing aflatoxin, Salmonella and ETO limits into the spec makes them contractual rather than assumed, so a failing lot is a breach you can act on.