If you’ve ever worked with spices, you know what a delicate journey it is to get the combination of flavors just right. And you also know how quickly just a pinch of the wrong spice can alter the entire result. That same attention to detail characterizes the whole of the spice-sourcing supply chain.
But instead of paying attention to flavors and textures alone, quality sourcing requires a level of due diligence that goes far beyond quality assurance.
In this blog, we will delve into the technical aspects of spice due diligence, providing you with the journey behind the safety and authenticity of your spice supply chain.
Ensuring authenticity and purity
When it comes to spices, ensuring authenticity and purity of the source is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the CPG products they will be used in. And to achieve this, due diligence begins right at the start of the sourcing journey.
Verifying origin and cultivation practices
To guarantee the authenticity of the spices we source, Ingredient Brothers puts potential vendors through rigorous trials, assessing factors such as geographic location, farming methods, and adherence to sustainable and ethical practices.
Testing for Adulteration and Contamination
Next up is the assurance of spice purity, which is done by testing for adulteration and contamination. Samples of all spices are analyzed for potential adulterants, pesticide residues, and heavy metals, to safeguard the quality of the spices you procure.
Reducing the risk on both ends of the supply chain
International ingredient sourcing is an industry known for its risks and the due diligence that goes into mitigating those risks for both food brands and end consumers.
Mitigating contamination risks
Spices are susceptible to various contamination risks, including microbial growth, pesticide residues, and heavy metals, so prevention is always better than cure in the wholesale spice game. Mitigating these risks is crucial to protect consumers and maintain product safety.
We partner with vendors and farmers that have proven their commitment to due diligence. As such, we ensure that certificates of analysis are obtained and that QA processes are gone through at every stage, from the soil to the Ingredient Brothers storage warehouse.
Allergen control protocols
Controlling foreign matter and allergens is crucial to avoid contamination and potential allergic reactions. A comprehensive approach to foreign matter and allergen control is essential in the spice due diligence process.
To ensure this, our packaging plants have robust allergen control measures in place. This includes dedicated processing areas, thorough cleaning protocols, and stringent operational protocols that ensure the absence of allergenic substances in the spices.
Foreign matter inspection and removal
As part of the due diligence process, we identify and eliminate any foreign matter that may be present in the spices we import. This includes visual inspections, sieving, and advanced separation techniques, such as magnets, to ensure the spices are free from any foreign particles or impurities.
Allergen information and labeling compliance
To meet regulatory requirements and ensure consumer safety, accurate allergen information and proper labeling of spice products are essential.
As part of our service, we ensure that your spices come with the necessary allergen documentation, and through our private labeling and packaging partners, we assist our customers comply with allergen labeling regulations.
Ensuring quality consistency
Consistency is key when it comes to spices. From aroma to flavor to texture, spices are the key to the elements that make your product stick in your customers’ heads and hearts. And to mess with that is to mess with an entire brand journey. So how do you avoid that with such a drawn-out supply chain?
Shortening the supply chain
While our stringent vendor selection criteria helps us to partner up with only the most reliable and consistent spice producers from across the globe, redundant role players can drag a single supply chain out to unbearable lengths.
So how do we ensure prolonged shelf life and freshness? By shortening the supply chain by cutting out the middlemen.
We go the length to keep sourcing stages to a minimum, finding refiners and manufacturers who can serve as packagers as well to ensure minimal product handling and fresher spices.
Getting custom specifications right with direct communication
Whether it’s a unique spice being used in an end-product or a custom spice blend being packaged for a private label brand, the simple truth is that all spices aren’t created equally. But custom specifications don’t have to dissuade you from culinary exploration any longer.
Meeting custom specifications is simplified by keeping the supply chain as direct as possible. We are able to communicate changes and sample feedback to vendors directly, providing an open line of communication throughout the sourcing journey to get you the spice your brand needs.
Let Ingredient Brothers help you spice up your sourcing strategy
In the realm of spice due diligence, finding the right sourcing partner is crucial for the success and safety of both food brands and consumers.
As a wholesale importer that has helped some of the USA’s biggest food brands secure custom spice blends made to specification, Ingredient Brothers knows just how to spice your brand’s supply chain up.
This journey is one we’re sharing, so don’t hesitate to connect with Emi, Fran, or Eran. While you’re at it, take a glance at our catalog using this link. And if what you’re after isn’t there, remember that we’re skilled at sourcing any ingredient you might need!
