Spice authentication by fully automated chemical analysis with integrated chemometrics

Spices had a worldwide market value greater than $20 billion in 2020. The price per kilogram or ton is high for many spices often due to intensive labor and handling requirements in their preparation, with black pepper as one example. Spices are produced in many countries, in plots ranging from fractions of a hectare to multihectare mechanized operations. From harvest through production and to final market package, spices pass through several steps in the supply chain that provide ample opportunity for fraud. Contamination with harmful plant materials, ingredient substitutions, and adulteration in spices are frequently encountered. In addition, spices in specific geographic regions can have distinctive characteristics from the localized growing conditions giving rise to changes in terpene profiles and other flavor components, creating variation in market price based on country of origin. The research reported here details a system for automated chemical analysis of 170 terpenes in spices and other botanicals by gas chromatography (GC), through enhancements to a proven bacterial identification system. The system integrates pattern recognition searches of custom spice databases to identify country of origin of most spices, aiding in the authentication of spices and detection of fraudulent ingredients.