A new resource has been launched to provide food companies that use culinary dried herbs and spices with industry best practice guidance on assessing and protecting the authenticity of these products.

Food companies will be able to use the practical guidance to ensure that they have the appropriate measures in place to play their role in assuring the integrity of these products. The guide was developed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and Seasoning and Spice Association (SSA) in liaison with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

Kerina Cheesman, policy and food integrity manager at FDF, says, "Culinary dried herbs and spices are widely used ingredients. This guide, developed in partnership with regulators, draws on industry expertise to provide food businesses across the supply chain with practical guidance so that they can confidently play their part in assuring the integrity of these ingredients."

Elizabeth Andoh-Kesson, food policy advisor at the BRC, adds, "This is a really important, practical guide for all food businesses to improve the way they manage a potentially vulnerable supply chain. It was great to collaborate with experts from manufacturers and suppliers to make a positive contribution to securing the supply chain and reinforcing consumer confidence."

The development of this document was decided following the Global Chain Analysis Workshop organised by the FSA (February 2015), in collaboration with FDF and BRC. It provides in depth expertise and advice from SSA members to assist companies using herbs and spices in understanding their role in assuring the integrity of their products.