Spices are often defined as aromatic, dried plant substances applied to foods primarily for flavoring and coloring, rather than for nutritional values. In addition to true spices, such as black pepper, the term spice is often used in a wider context to include dried herbs, aromatic seeds and dried vegetables, such as onion and garlic (Coggins, 2001). Similarly with other agricultural commod- ities, spices are exposed to microbial contamination from various sources including soil, insects, and irrigation water. Subsequently, spices may harbor a diverse and abundant microbial community, and carry a risk of introducing harmful microbes into the food production chain.
Unless given a specific decontamination treatment, spices may contain microbial counts as high as 107e108 CFU/g (Coggins, 2001). In the food industry, such contamination is significant for two main reasons: firstly, harmful microbes from the spices may cause health hazards or spoilage in foods which do not undergo further