Improving the microbiological quality of spices and spice blends usingtreatments accessible to SMEs/SMIs

The aim of this study is to contribute to the safety of spices and spice blends through the use of simple treatments that can be applied in SMEs/SMIs. To this end, samples of fresh onion bulbs, par sley, ginger, chili peppers, turmeric, and garlic were collected for the production of treated and untreated powdered spices. Samples of powdered spices of the same type were also purchased commercially in order to compare the results. Four types of heat treatment were applied depending on the nature of the spice. These were blanching, roasting, oven heating, and tyndallization. Microbiological analyses were carried out using standardized methods and covered all samples. The moisture content of the spices was also determined. An overall assessment of the results of the analyses of total mesophilic aerobic flora, yeasts and molds, Staphylococcus aureus, sulfite-reducing Clostridium, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella shows that, according to microbiological quality criteria, 75. 00 % of untreated powdered spices are of unsatisfactory quality, as are 71.43 % of commercial powdered spices. The treatments resulted in a reduction of between 0.06 and 6.15 log CFU/g, depending on the bacteria. This reduction resulted in satisfactory quality for 62.50 % of the treated spices and acceptable quality for 37.50 %. Blanching and roasting resulted in an acceptable quality blend of spices. However, heating in an oven did not significantly improve the microbiological quality of the spice blend. These simple treatments blanching and roasting could be applied in SMEs/SMIs processing companies to reduce the microbial load in spices and spice blends.