Raw materials: the importance of quality and safety. A review.

Abstract

Aromatic plants and spices are used throughout the world for fl avouring food and beverages, as well as for food supplements, novel foods and as a source of essential oils and aromatic extracts. The non-availability or inadequacy of standards for checking and assuring the quality of aromatic plants and spices is one of the main problems that arise for industry when using such raw materials. As many aromatic plants are harvested from the wild, standardization to assure their quality is important for their safe and eff ective utilization in food and beverage industries. On the other hand, there are numerous parameters that infl uence the chemical composition of plants, which play an important role in the fi nal quality of the product and possibly in any risk arising to the consumer. Also, from a safety point of view, aromatic plants and spices should be free of undeclared contaminants and adulterants, such as toxic botanicals, pathogenic microorganisms and excessive levels of microbial toxins, pesticides or fumigation agents. We focus on these aspects and examine ways to assure their appropriate utilization from the quality and safety standpoint. The regulatory situation of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) is very complicated; several diff erences in standards and regulations between countries can be found, a situation that can result in more health risks arising for consumers. To clarify some of the existing problems, the major regulations of the USA and the European Union (EU) and the borderlines between food supplements and medicines and other international standards, are briefl y described and discussed.

Accumulation of heavy metals from soil in medicinal plants

“…It is therefore important to emphasize that the safety and benefits of plant-based products are directly related to the quality of the raw materials (36), including the presence of heavy metals within safe limits.…”

Effect of Supplemental Japanese Pepper Seed on the Palatability of Feed in Chicks

“…Numerous feeding experiments have been performed using herbs or spices as feed additives, and some reports have indicated their harmful effects on feeding behavior and performance (Salgueiro et al, 2010;Tajodini et al, 2015). Higher JPS supplementations inhibited feeding behavior during the 2-h period after providing the experimental feed; however, JPS supplementation did not affect feed and water intake in the 5 h feeding experiments (Fig.…”

“…Using agro-industrial by-products requires the estimation of nutrients and determination of whether the components have beneficial or adverse effects on animal production. In fact, by-products occasionally have harmful effects on feeding behavior and performance in poultry (Salgueiro et al, 2010;Tajodini et al, 2015). In particular, feed containing harmful components, even if rich in nutrients, can reduce animal performance.…”

Fytosanitaire na-oogst behandel- en detectietechnieken voor plaagorganismen in tuinbouw

“…Daarnaast zijn er plantensoorten zonder een duidelijke overheersende stof in de EO. EO productie varieert in kwantiteit en kwaliteit, afhankelijk van factoren als regio, teeltseizoen en teelttechniek (Salgueiro et al 2010). …”