LHAAC 2025 — CSP41: Microbial and heavy metal detections in herbs and spices, Western Australia
This government sampling project (Coordinated Sampling Project 41, conducted November 2024 to January 2025) assessed the microbiological safety and heavy metal contamination of 380 herb and spice products purchased from retail businesses across 23 local government areas of Western Australia. ICP-MS analysis screened for nine metals: Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, and Zn. Results were benchmarked against Codex Alimentarius, FSANZ standards, and scientific literature thresholds. The project was conducted in direct response to FSANZ recommendations following the 2023 US cinnamon applesauce recall and global concerns about lead in cinnamon products. Key finding: As, Cd, and Hg remained within conservative safety thresholds for all 380 samples; Cr exceeded 2 mg/kg in 5.8% of samples; and lead exceeded the Codex/EU ML of 0.8 mg/kg for dried spices in 29 spice powder samples, with ground cinnamon being the dominant offending commodity.
Key numbers
Sample breakdown (n=380):
- Spice powder or mix: 203 samples
- Fresh herbs: 42 samples
- Fresh spice: 77 samples
- Dry herb: 26 samples
- Other: 32 samples
Arsenic (As): All 380 samples ≤ 2 mg/kg; one Fresh spice sample above 2 mg/kg. Conservative nominal threshold 2 mg/kg.
Cadmium (Cd): All 380 samples < 1 mg/kg; subset above 0.7 mg/kg nominal threshold were predominantly cinnamon-containing products in Fresh spice and Spice powder categories.
Chromium (Cr): 27 of 380 samples (5.8%) exceeded 2 mg/kg. Majority were Spice powder or mix (n=17). Extreme outliers:
- Fresh chilli: 40 mg/kg
- Undescribed fresh herb: 61 mg/kg
- Dried bay leaves: 460 mg/kg
- Dried curry leaves: 970 mg/kg
Lead (Pb): Exceeded nominal level of 2 mg/kg in 10 spice powder samples, 2 dry herbs, and 1 fresh spice; exceeded the Codex/EU ML of 0.8 mg/kg in 29 spice powder samples total. Ground cinnamon was the dominant commodity exceeding both thresholds.
Mercury (Hg): All results < 1 mg/kg; analyst LOR set at 0.02 mg/kg; 25 detections above 0.02 mg/kg were from cinnamon samples. Overall assessed as minimal risk.
Aluminium (Al): Detected in all categories, range 20–5,100 mg/kg. Dried parsley had the highest concentrations (>1,000 mg/kg). Total of 278 samples analysed for Al (one analyst unable to perform Al/Cu/Ni/Zn).
Nickel (Ni): Majority of samples < 2 mg/kg.
Regulatory references used: Codex CXS 193-1995; FSANZ Food Standards Code; EU Regulation 1881/2006 and 2021/1317 (Pb in dried spices 0.8 mg/kg, dried herbs 10 mg/kg).
JECFA BMDL for inorganic As: 7.9 µg/kg bw/day; 5 g spice intake at 2 mg/kg = ~10 µg/day, well below limit. JECFA PTWI for Cd: ~7 µg/kg bw/week; would require >200 g/week of 2 mg/kg Cd spice to approach limit. JECFA PTWI for methylmercury: 1.6 µg/kg bw/week; 10 g/day spice at 0.02 mg/kg = 0.2 µg Hg/day, far below concern.
Methods (brief)
ICP-MS following acidic digestion using automated hot block; NATA-accredited method. Four sample categories (fresh herbs, fresh spice, dried herb, spice powder/mix) collected by Environmental Health Officers from 23 WA local government areas. Samples collected November 2024–January 2025. Two participating analysts: Agrifood Technology (AT) and Eurofins ARL (EARL). AT was unable to perform Cu, Ni, Zn, and Al analyses; EARL performed the full metal suite. Results compared against Codex and FSANZ standards where applicable; 2 mg/kg used as a conservative nominal threshold for metals lacking a formal limit.
Limitations: No formal ML exists for most metals in herbs and spices under Australian or Codex standards; the 2 mg/kg nominal threshold is a conservative screening value, not a regulatory limit. Composite blended products mean metal detections may not be attributable to a single ingredient. Single time-point sampling. ICP-MS gives total elemental concentrations without speciation (As, Cr reported as totals).
Implications
Certification: Lead contamination in cinnamon products is a confirmed and commercially significant risk, aligning with the US cinnamon applesauce recall narrative. The Pb exceedance pattern (ground cinnamon as dominant offender, Codex ML of 0.8 mg/kg for dried spices) should inform HMT&C spice product standards. The extreme Cr values in dried bay leaves and curry leaves (460–970 mg/kg) are striking but may reflect total chromium including Cr-III; Cr-VI speciation would be needed for a full toxicological assessment.
Courses: Useful real-world case study for the supply-chain surveillance module. Demonstrates how a consumer-safety event (US cinnamon recall) propagated into regulatory monitoring in a different jurisdiction, and provides current data on the magnitude of microbiological versus chemical contamination risks in herbs and spices.
App: Confirmed metal contamination risk signals for dried spice powders: Pb in ground cinnamon (exceeds Codex ML in 29/203 spice powder samples); Cr outliers in dried curry leaves and bay leaves; Al in dried parsley (>1,000 mg/kg). As, Cd, Hg all within safe thresholds at the population level.