Spices and Spice Extracts

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Spices and spice extracts are aromatic plant-derived ingredients — derived from roots, bark, seeds, fruits, or leaves — used to enhance the taste, colour, and aroma of food. Spice extracts (oleoresins, essential oils, and concentrated preparations) capture the volatile and non-volatile bioactive constituents of their source spice through solvent or steam extraction, and are widely used in both culinary and food-preservation applications.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Spices and their extracts are broadly recognised as safe for the general adult population at typical culinary intake levels and are listed as GRAS under US FDA 21 CFR Part 182. Primary safety concerns centre on microbial contamination (Salmonella, pathogenic E. coli) and economically motivated adulteration (e.g., addition of non-permitted dyes), rather than intrinsic toxicity of the spice compounds themselves. Certain individual spice extracts used at high or concentrated doses (e.g., capsaicin extracts, safrole-containing spices) may warrant additional scrutiny, but no single ADI applies to the category as a whole.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Whole and ground spices are regulated as food/agricultural commodities, not food additives, under general EU food law (Regulation (EC) No 178/2002). Spice-derived food additives (e.g., rosemary extracts E 392) fall under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and require individual EFSA evaluation. The EU runs coordinated control plans to combat adulteration and purity non-compliance in herbs and spices (2019–2021 plan). Pesticide maximum residue levels (MRLs) for spices are set under Regulation (EC) No 396/2005.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Spices, masalas, and spice oleoresins/extracts are regulated under FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, Chapter 2.9 and food product category 12.2.1. Spice oleoresins are defined under Section 2.9.32; permitted food-grade extraction solvents and their residual limits are specified (e.g., acetone ≤30 ppm, ethyl acetate ≤50 ppm, n-hexane with its own limit). FSSAI has also issued a HACCP-based Food Safety Management System guidance document for the spice processing sector (2018). Spices listed by the Spices Board of India may be used as processed ingredients including extracts in nutraceuticals, subject to prior FSSAI approval for specific health claims.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Spices are listed as GRAS under 21 CFR Part 182.10. On product labels, spices may be declared collectively as 'spices' without naming each one individually (21 CFR 101.22). No maximum daily intake is established; manufacturers must use the minimum quantity necessary to achieve the desired effect.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Infants — Concentrated spice extracts and pungent spices are generally not recommended for infants due to their immature digestive systems and potential for mucous membrane irritation; FSSAI notes that products for children below age 5 should be given only under medical advice.

Ibs — Pungent spices and high-dose spice extracts (e.g., chilli/capsaicin, garlic) can trigger or worsen gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome, as their bioactive compounds stimulate gastrointestinal motility and secretion.

Ibd — Hot and concentrated spice preparations may aggravate gut inflammation in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease during active flares, and clinical dietary guidance commonly recommends limiting them during disease activity.

Sulfite Sensitivity — Some processed spice blends and extracts may contain undeclared sulfites as preservatives or processing aids, which can provoke reactions in sulfite-sensitive individuals; the FDA notes that undeclared sulfites in certain food products, including spice preparations, can cause allergic reactions.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. FDA Types of Food Ingredients — Labelling of Spices and Flavourings. fda.gov
2FSSAI. FSSAI-FSSD: Spices — A Guide to Types, Benefits, Uses and Safety Concerns. fssai-digest.fssai.gov.in
3FDA. Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Part 182.10 — Spices and Other Natural Seasonings and Flavourings (GRAS). accessdata.fda.gov
4EFSA. Targeted risk assessment for maximum residue levels for nicotine in spices — EFSA Journal 2023, 21(10), 2023. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5EFSA. EU Coordinated Control Plan — Authenticity and Purity of Herbs and Spices (2019–2021), 2021. food.ec.europa.eu
6FSSAI. FSSAI Guidance Document: Food Safety Management System (FSMS) for Spice Processing (2018), 2018.

Independently researched7 citations