Risk-based authenticity monitoring of herbs and spices through staged, decision-triggered screening

Conventional laboratory-based authenticity controls struggle to scale with the volume and complexity of modern herb and spice supply chains, limiting their effectiveness as first-line surveillance tools. In this context, non-targeted screening approaches can support early prioritization by informing decision-making under uncertainty, without aiming to provide definitive analytical conclusions. This study examines the role of portable near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy within a staged authenticity monitoring workflow, showing that its primary value lies in functioning as a decision-support tool that triggers proportionate confirmatory testing and enables more efficient allocation of laboratory resources. Oregano and cinnamon were used as contrasting case studies to evaluate workflow behavior under different authenticity risk scenarios. By situating portable screening within predefined decision workflows, the findings illustrate how centrally maintained analytical models accessed through distributed screening devices may support a shift from episodic, audit-based testing toward more decision-triggered surveillance logics, strengthening authenticity assurance across complex herb and spice supply chains.