Testing and Analysis
We test because a supplier's certificate tells you what the supplier found, not what is in the lot that arrived. Our laboratory at Newark performs physical and chemical analysis and screening microbiology. Confirmatory microbiology and trace contaminant testing are performed by accredited third-party laboratories.
Microbiological
| Test | Frequency | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Salmonella | Every inbound lot; every treated lot after treatment | Accredited third-party laboratory |
| E. coli and coliforms | Every inbound lot | In-house screening, third-party confirmation |
| Aerobic plate count | Every inbound lot and every treated lot | In-house |
| Yeast and mold | Every inbound lot | In-house |
| Enterobacteriaceae | Treated lots and on customer specification | In-house |
Chemical and Contaminant
| Test | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture | Every lot | Near-infrared at receiving, oven reference method for verification |
| Volatile oil | Every lot of aromatic spices and herbs | Steam distillation per SIPF method; near-infrared screening |
| Total ash and acid-insoluble ash | Every lot | Indicators of soil and adulteration |
| Extractable color | Every paprika and chile lot | Reported in extractable color units |
| Pungency | Every capsicum lot | Liquid chromatography, reported in Scoville heat units |
| Curcumin | Every turmeric lot | Spectrophotometric |
| Piperine | Pepper on customer specification | |
| Pesticide residues | Risk-based schedule by item and origin; every lot of certified organic product | Multi-residue screen at accredited laboratory |
| Heavy metals | Every lot of turmeric, ginger and cassia; risk-based for others | Lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury |
| Mycotoxins | Every lot of nutmeg, mace, chiles and paprika; risk-based for others | Aflatoxin and ochratoxin A |
| Illegal dyes | Every capsicum and turmeric lot | Sudan dyes and related colorants |
| Allergens | Verification swabs and product testing after allergen changeovers | Sesame, mustard, gluten, milk, soy |
| Authenticity | Risk-based and on anomaly | Microscopy, spectroscopy and DNA methods for species and origin |
Physical
| Test | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Extraneous matter and cleanliness | Every lot | Automated vision screening at receiving; manual examination against SIPF cleanliness specifications |
| Particle size | Every milled lot | Sieve analysis against specification |
| Bulk density | Every lot | |
| Color and appearance | Every lot | Instrumental and visual against retained standards |
| Sensory | Every production run | Trained panel against retained standards |
Methods and Accreditation
Our methods follow the SIPF Analytical Methods Manual and recognized compendial methods. Our in-house laboratory participates in proficiency testing programs. Third-party laboratories we use are accredited to ISO 17025 for the methods they perform for us. Methods and accreditation details are listed on each certificate of analysis.
Customer Specifications
If your specification requires tests, limits or frequencies beyond our standard program, we build them into the item record in HELM and they are scheduled automatically for every lot you receive. Results appear on your certificate of analysis and in the Quarterdeck portal.
