Are the Spices you Buy in UK Supermarkets Fake?

Spices enrich all sorts of dishes but are the ones you get in the supermarket as real as you think they are?

Are the Spices you Buy in UK Supermarkets Fake f

"you will still find it in less well-controlled supply chains"

Many households have a variety of spices in their kitchen cupboard and in most cases, they are purchased from supermarkets due to their affordability.

Already dried, ground up and coming with long best-before dates, these ingredients make cooking so much quicker.

However, experts have revealed that seven of the most popular herbs and spices sold in UK supermarkets are bulked out with cheap alternatives.

Worryingly, this includes everything from coloured chalk to toxic lead-based dyes.

Some of the fake spices even contain chemicals that could increase the risk of cancer or lead to fatal allergic reactions.

What is Spice Fraud?

When buying spices, one might assume that the label accurately reflects the contents.

While this is usually true, there is growing concern that some dishonest producers are bulking their products with additional ingredients.

Spices are often grown in specific regions, are costly by weight, and are typically sold as highly pigmented powders. These factors make spice fraud easy to commit, difficult to detect, and highly profitable.

A study of herbs and spices conducted by the European Commission between 2019 and 2021 analysed 1,885 seasoning samples.

After nearly 10,000 laboratory tests, the commission discovered that 17% of all the herbs and spices tested contained some form of suspicious adulteration.

Similarly, a study by the UK Food Safety Agency in 2024 found that up to 13% of certain spices were counterfeit.

Dr Terry McGrath, chief scientific officer for leading food testing company Bia Analytical, said:

“With the larger retailers implementing risk mitigation strategies it is less common.

“However, you will still find it in less well-controlled supply chains; for example, smaller retailers without the capability or quality processes to assess the risk.”

This is concerning because not only are customers not getting what they pay for but the additional ingredients could pose health risks.

But what are the most-faked spices on supermarket shelves?

Saffron

Are the Spices you Buy in UK Supermarkets Fake - saffron

Given the difficult preparation process saffron goes through, it is unsurprising that this spice is frequently faked.

It will often contain red dye, cotton threads and corn husk silk.

To test for fake saffron, place a few strands in cold water.

Real saffron will colour cold water faintly after a minute or so while fake saffron will quickly dye the water red.

Black Pepper

Are the Spices you Buy in UK Supermarkets Fake - pepper

Black pepper is commonly used but it is concerning that 70 out of 421 samples tested by the European Commission were contaminated.

This impacts both whole and ground pepper, with dried berries and papaya seeds sold as fake peppercorns.

Since papaya seeds are more buoyant than peppercorns you should be able to spot fakes by adding a tablespoon of the spice to a glass of water.

Real peppercorns will sink to the bottom of the glass, while any other added seeds will float.

Oregano

Are the Spices you Buy in UK Supermarkets Fake - oregano

According to the Food Standards Authority, approximately 27% of dried oregano had additional ingredients.

Olive leaves are the biggest offender when it comes to bulking up oregano.

And unfortunately, unless you opt to buy fresh herbs there is very little you can do to spot the frauds.

Turmeric

Are the Spices you Buy in UK Supermarkets Fake - turm

Turmeric is a staple spice in many South Asian households, however, it is worrying to know that yellow chalk is commonly added to this spice.

To test for chalk in turmeric, place a spoonful into a tall glass.

Then add an equal amount of strong white vinegar.

If it is fake, the mixture will start to bubble.

Cumin

What makes this form of spice fraud concerning is that cumin is often bulked out with allergens such as mustard.

Some contaminated samples also had traces of ash.

To test, take some cumin seeds and rub them into the palm of your hand.

If there are any seeds which have been dyed or coloured with ash this will rub off and leave a dark stain on your hands.

Cinnamon

It is reported that real cinnamon is hard to come by.

Instead, ‘fake cinnamon’ from the bark of a cassia tree is typically sold in its place.

Cassia cinnamon can also contain a toxin called coumarin, which can be dangerous in large doses.

Thankfully, distinguishing real from fake is easy.

Real cinnamon is thin and can easily be wrapped around a pencil.

On the other hand, cassia is harder to break and will look more like a rough cylinder when dried.

Chilli Powder

One surprising addition is chilli powder, with synthetic dyes being added to chilli powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika, however, this is rare.

It is more likely that products like flour and potato starch are added.

To test if your chilli powder is real, add a few drops of iodine to your sample.

If your chilli powder is real, the iodine will remain reddish-brown, if it is fake the iodine will quickly change colour.

It is concerning that some of the most popular herbs and spices contain additional ingredients that may pose health risks.

Although there are ways to test if your purchases are genuine, the issue of spice fraud highlights the need for stricter regulation and more robust testing to ensure the integrity of what we consume.

Lead Editor Dhiren is our news and content editor who loves all things football. He also has a passion for gaming and watching films. His motto is to "Live life one day at a time".



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