Serbia - special law

Serbian spice producers will now have to be careful about the composition of their seasonings. The country has adopted a set of rules specifying the content of impurities in various types of food additives.

So, for example, for oregano, the amount of ash in cut leaves should not exceed 10%, and in ground leaves - 12%. But the content of oregano essential oils should be at least 1.5 mg in cut leaves and at least 1.3 mg for ground leaves, calculated per 100 grams of dry matter.

Black peppercorns must also meet certain standards: the amount of ash in it is limited to 7%, and water - 13%. In this case, piperine in the peas must be present at a level of at least 2%.

Strict standards have also been established for other popular seasonings - from ground paprika to vanilla sugar.

All these restrictions are adopted in an effort to protect the health of consumers. After all, even a tiny excess of doses of active substances in food additives can cause serious consequences.

Spices in Serbia began to be especially carefully checked after the discovery of a thousandfold excess of the maximum permissible level of carcinogens in sesame seeds coming from India. Only thanks to the attentiveness of control at customs was it possible to avoid mass poisoning of the population.