Spicing up your spices with rodent hairs and Salmonella
And filth: “The most common types of filth adulterants" – found in up to 12% of imported spices over three years, the FDA reported – "were insect fragments, whole/equivalent insects, and animal hair,” usually indicative of "rodent feces.”
Just when you thought our food supply was safe again.
A spicy meal, anyone?
Spices like black pepper, paprika, turmeric, oregano, and onion powder are almost ubiquitous in our foodstuffs, giving flavor to what we eat, even for the awful chefs among us.
Among the report's findings: during three years of testing, 6.6% of imported spices (most spices consumed in the U.S. are imports) were contaminated with Salmonella – more than twice the rate of all other FDA-regulated foods – and 12% of imported spices contained filth. According to the report, "the most common types of filth adulterants were insect fragments, whole/equivalent insects, and animal hair," and noted that "the presence of rodent hair (without a root) in spices is generally indicative of contamination by rodent feces."
Hungry yet?
The report, evocatively titled "Draft Risk Profile: Pathogens and Filth in Spices," calls attention to 14 significant outbreaks around the world between 1973 and 2010 that could be traced back to tainted spices, resulting in nearly 2,000 illnesses, 128 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. Only 3 of the 14 known outbreaks were in the United States.
To help reduce the risks of contamination and illness, FDA recommendations include increased and improved surveillance, working with international regulatory partners, and the improvement of storage practices by spice producers and distributors.
In the meantime, bon appetit!
Read more about The Public's Health.