NEWSLETTER: Winter 2003
- Changes in Food Regulations
and the impact on herbs & spices - New factory premises
- Changes for the next India Tour
- New - Nasi Goreng Spice Mix
Changes in Food Regulations
In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis placed on food safety, which of course is of primary importance to consumers and food producers alike. However, achieving a sensible balance when it comes to the interpretation of regulations can be challenging - is it really realistic to expect a busy restaurant to check the internal temperature of each serving of meat before it goes to the table? In the spice business, we also have to adapt to changes in these food regulations, which have been introduced for the ultimate benefit of everyone. Because you may read various stories in the media about this, we thought it would be a good idea to put you in the picture about what it all means with respect to herbs and spices.
Herbs and spices are agricultural products, which come from a wide variety of sources. Their farming methods vary in sophistication, from primitive feudal farms to highly organized, quality-controlled producers. For this reason, from time to time, some herbs and spices may carry bacteria from the soil, organic fertilizers or unsophisticated handling practices during harvesting. For thousands of years, this presence of bacteria has not posed a serious problem for human health, as the heat of traditional cooking methods kills most micro-organisms.
However these days herbs and spices are used in many non-traditional ways that may not kill any bacteria present; for example, paprika sprinkled over food as a garnish does not go through the cooking process. A piece of chicken sitting on a warmer for some hours is a notorious environment for bacterial growth, made more so if it has been sprinkled with an ingredient that contains a small amount of bacteria, which will then multiply rapidly under these conditions.
To combat this problem, herbs and spices that were considered to have a high risk factor have usually been sterilized with a fumigant called ethylene oxide. In recent years, the global trend towards reducing residues in foods has led to the phasing out of ethylene oxide in many countries. Australia has followed suit, and as from October this year, this method will no longer be legal here, so that leaves three main alternatives.
The first alternative is irradiation, which has been approved in Australia, however we are not aware of any herbs and spices being treated by irradiation in Australia at the moment. By law, any imported product that is irradiated must have a declaration that it has been "treated by ionizing radiation." A lot of people would be very uneasy about this alternative if it were to become available in this country, however one must keep a sense of reality, considering how small the proportion of herbs and spices are in a meal when compared to the other ingredients.
The second alternative is heat or steam sterilization. This method, as you would imagine, is a system of treating the herbs and spices with super-heated steam in a chamber to kill any bacteria. While this method has been found to be very effective for many of the high risk spices, unfortunately, it also rather savagely depletes the flavour of delicate herbs.
The third alternative is to implement more stringent quality control at the farm level, to reduce the need for any form of sterilization in the first place. As we mentioned before, due to the nature of herb and spice production in many countries this is a long-term option. It is encouraging to note that bodies such as the Indian Government's Spices Board has field officers constantly visiting farms to address the issue of overall cleanliness at the most basic level.
Our policy at Herbie's Spices tends towards options two and three. We know that many consumers are uncomfortable with the idea of irradiated foods, so we do not intend to sell any irradiated herbs and spices at all. We will continue to source the very best quality herbs and spices that comply with Australia's stringent health regulations. Herbs and spices that have a high risk of bacterial contamination may be heat treated, if there is no viable alternative. Fortunately, technologies for treating herbs and spices around the world are continually improving. To supply products lacking in flavour would be a very hard thing for us to do, as excellence of flavour is one of our main reasons for being here. We will continue to do our utmost to bring you the very best herbs and spices available.
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New factory premises
You may have noticed that this newsletter is running a little late, and our recent move is the excuse for our tardiness. During the last six months, we have been preparing to move to new factory premises, which have been fitted out to meet all the new food safety specifications. It is truly beautiful, and we look forward to being more productive, more efficient and more able to meet the needs of our customers now that we have moved. The shop remains exactly the same, and still handles all mail orders, phone enquiries and class bookings, with friendly and experienced staff to look after your needs.
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There's good news on the Aussie dollar front, and because of that, our travel agent has been able to reduce the cost of the India tour planned for January 2004. If you already have a brochure, you might like to get your pen and make these changes: cost of the tour is now $7995, and the single supplement is now $1425. Should the WHO advise against travel to the sub-continent for any reason, all deposits will be returned in full, before 15 November. We are still looking forward to the adventure - in spite of various deterrents to travel, India is a peaceful continent of great beauty and charm, not to mention exciting spices and wonderful food!
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What's new at Herbie's? There's only one new product, as we've been very busy with the new factory, but we're sure you'll find the Nasi Goreng Spice Mix a wonderfully simple way to create this tasty Indonesian rice dish at home. There's a recipe on the back of the pack, so it couldn't be simpler for you. According to our staff, it's been a resounding success with chilli-tolerant kids as well. What a great way of warming up this winter!
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