They sit quietly in every kitchen—bright jars of paprika, pepper, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon. We sprinkle them into soups, marinades, and rubs, trusting that these colorful powders are as harmless as they are flavorful. But beneath their fragrant appeal, a hidden danger lingers: contaminated spices are an often-overlooked source of foodborne illness.

While raw meats and leafy greens are the usual suspects in outbreaks, recent studies show that spices can harbor the same dangerous pathogens—including Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, and Bacillus cereus. And because they’re dry, shelf-stable, and widely traded, contamination in just one batch can spread across the globe before anyone realizes something is wrong.

A Global Supply Chain with Hidden Risks

The journey from farm to spice

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