{"id":1576,"date":"2026-09-17T02:59:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T02:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vannsspices.com\/journal\/?p=1576"},"modified":"2026-09-26T19:02:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T19:02:23","slug":"whats-really-in-your-seasoning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vannsspices.com\/journal\/whats-really-in-your-seasoning\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Really in Your Seasoning?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Three questions to ask your spice manufacturer can reveal more about your product than its ingredient panel. A label may tell you what a seasoning blend contains, but it cannot tell you where those ingredients came from, what’s really in your seasoning, how they were processed, or whether they were tested for authenticity. (Fig 1<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"what's
Fig 1: Product warehouse floor at Vanns Spices manufacturing facility<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For brands working with a private label spice manufacturer, those details matter. Functional ingredients, microbial-reduction methods, supplier controls, and traceability all shape the finished product, even when none of them is visible on the package. Before approving a formula or choosing a manufacturing partner, ask these three questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question 1: What’s Really in Your Seasoning Besides Spices?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Seasoning blends often include functional ingredients that have nothing to do with flavor: anti-caking agents to keep powder flowing, carriers to distribute flavorings or active ingrediants evenly through a larger volume, bulking agents, and other components declared under broad umbrella terms. None of these are inherently problematic. Some are unavoidable or even preferable at certain particle sizes and moisture levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two that often raise the questions are “natural flavors,” a legally defined but functionally opaque term that tells a shopper very little, and yeast extract, which often appears in blends positioned as free of added MSG. Neither declaration is a regulatory violation, but they serve different purposes and can affect flavor, cost, and blend functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural flavors are defined <\/a>as originating from plant or animal sources and serving a significant flavoring function rather than a nutritional one. Natural flavoring means the taste came from something that was once food, extracted and concentrated (A spice, an herb, a fruit or vegetable, a bark or root or leaf, meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, yeast, or something fermented). The phrase is a legal shorthand, not a description of what’s actually in there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural versus artificial says nothing about safety, nutrition, or processing. “Natural” doesn’t mean simple. Certain carriers, solvents, and processing aids may be exempt from individual declaration<\/a> when they are present at insignificant levels and have no technical or functional effect in the finished food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autolyzed yeast extract is one of the most common savory ingredients in commercial seasoning blends, and it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Ordinary yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae<\/em>), the same organism used in beer and bread, is killed in a way that lets the enzymes inside the cells break down the yeast’s own proteins. This is the “autolyzed<\/em>” (meaning self-digested; loosened or broken apart) part. The cell walls are then separated out, and the soluble portion is concentrated into a dried powder or paste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In seasoning blends, autolyzed yeast extract functions primarily as a flavor enhancer<\/a>. It adds savory, umami character, can increase perceived saltiness, and may help mask bitter or metallic notes. These effects can also make a blend taste more consistent when natural spices vary from batch to batch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the FDA,<\/a> foods containing autolyzed yeast or yeast extract cannot claim \u201cNo MSG\u201d or \u201cNo added MSG\u201d because those ingredients naturally contain free glutamate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to ask:<\/strong> Which ingredients on this panel are functional rather than flavor? What happens to flow, shelf life, and cost if we remove each one? What’s actually behind “natural flavors” in our formula?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question 2: How was the Raw Material Sterilized?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the question almost nobody asks, and it’s the one with the most exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spices are grown and dried outdoors, which makes them vulnerable to Salmonella<\/em> and E. coli<\/em>. Often, they undergo treatment before entering the food supply. The principal commercial options are ethylene oxide fumigation, irradiation, and steam or heat treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ethylene oxide<\/strong> (EtO) is inexpensive and highly effective, making it the most widely used sterilization process. The EPA cites an industry estimate that approximately 40% of dried spices in the United States are treated with it annually. EtO is used to sterilize some spices<\/a>, certain dried herbs, and dried vegetables at commercial sterilization facilities in order to control food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella<\/em> and E. coli<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spices treated with ethylene oxide do not require a label notice in the United States, as U.S. law does not require disclosing this sterilization method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irradiation<\/strong> is the main alternative to ethylene oxide. Irradiated food must carry the Radura symbol plus a statement, “Treated by irradiation,” on the label. However, regulations state that the labeling requirement applies to a food that has been irradiated, not a food that merely contains an irradiated ingredient. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where things get confusing. Spices do not have\u00a0to be labeled as irradiated if they are individual ingrediants in a multi-ingredient food product or seasoning. If a retail bottle of oregano has itself been irradiated, its label must carry the Radura symbol and the words \u201cTreated with radiation\u201d or \u201cTreated by irradiation.\u201d (Fig 2<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"radura
Fig 2<\/strong>: Radura symbol, treated with irradiation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Steam or heat treatment<\/strong> can affect the volatile oils responsible for aroma and flavor and may alter color. The extent of those changes depends on the spice and the combination of temperature, moisture, and exposure time. Carefully controlled high-temperature, short-time processing can limit quality losses while achieving the required microbial reduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This process doesn’t require a disclosure on the label; however, some companies mention steam sterilization because it is often considered a preferred sterilization process in the natural food market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One shortcut is worth knowing: USDA organic rules<\/a> prohibit both ionizing radiation and ethylene oxide. Organic certification therefore provides assurance about how certified material was processed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to ask:<\/strong> What sterilization method do you use on your raw materials? Is it consistent across all of them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question 3: Is the Raw Material What It Claims to Be?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When a brand works with a private label manufacturer, it is also relying on that manufacturer\u2019s sourcing controls and authenticity testing. Spices are valuable commodities traded through long international supply chains, making them particularly vulnerable to adulteration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economically motivated adulteration<\/a> occurs when someone intentionally omits, removes, or substitutes a valuable ingredient, or adds a substance to make a food appear better or more valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paprika and chili powder have long been diluted with spent material or inexpensive bulking agents, then dyed to restore an acceptable color. Sudan dyes have been used for this purpose because pale or brownish paprika commands a lower price. These industrial dyes<\/a> are not approved for use as food colorants, and Sudan I is classified as a genotoxic carcinogen. Reports of Sudan dyes in spice powders have persisted since 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adulteration is not limited to artificial coloring. Turmeric has been intentionally adulterated with lead chromate<\/a> and has also been associated with elevated lead exposure. Cumin has also been implicated in recalls involving undeclared allergens, including peanut proteins. Black pepper has been extended with papaya seeds, husks, and other inexpensive materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finished-product inspection alone can’t solve this problem. Control it upstream through supplier qualification, detailed specifications, certificates of analysis, and targeted testing of higher-risk materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to ask:<\/strong> How are suppliers initially qualified and periodically re-qualified? Which materials are tested, and what tests are performed? Who reviews and approves the certificates of analysis?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Verify the Answers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first three questions concern what goes into your product. The final question is whether your manufacturer can substantiate its answers when a retailer, certification body, regulator, or your own team challenges it during an incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certifications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Certifications help establish whether a manufacturer\u2019s processes meet recognized standards. Understand what each certification covers and how it applies to your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vanns Spices holds<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n