What are spices? And what are their uses?
Spices are seeds, fruits, roots, barks, or other plant parts primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. They are different from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are also used in medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics, or perfume production.
Are spices farm products?
Yes, spices are farm products like vegetables, fruits and pulses. They are cultivated by farmers across the country.
What are the impurities/contaminations commonly found in raw spices?
Being agricultural product from the farm, spice raw materials contain certain impurities as in any other farm produce. They also contain agro-chemical residues of fertilisers, pesticides, heavy metals etc. Hence, it is necessary to understand the supply chain of each spice item and source fresh and good quality raw materials and process them under strict quality norms and food safety conditions. For this, experienced sourcing, processing and quality team are required.
How are spices sourced by Eastern?
Eastern has a very experienced and efficient sourcing and quality teams. We source quality spices directly from farmers as well as through government-approved market-places where farmers from across the country sell their produce. Our sourcing team knows the origin, characteristics, purity and quality of the raw materials, and buys fresh raw materials during harvest season. Stringent quality norms and specifications are enforced by our quality team to ensure that the raw materials procured by Eastern meet up to the food safety, quality and regulatory requirements.
5. How are these raw materials processed into retail consumer packs? And how are the contaminants controlled and removed in the final product?
Any foreign matter present in the raw material is removed during processing by methods such as sifting, aspirating, de-stoning, magnetic separation, metal detection etc. and then cut, powdered, blended and packed in food safe conditions in our factory, which meets high standards of food safety, quality and regulations.
Any farm produce contains residues of agrochemicals that have been used by farmers to protect their crop. Regulatory authorities in the respective countries, like the FSSAI in India, has set allowable limits for such contaminants in food which are updated periodically By sourcing the right/compliant raw materials from the proper origin, adequate quality control systems and testing protocols Eastern ensure that our products comply to the set limits.
What are the quality standards that Eastern products adhere to?
Eastern has implemented a high level of quality and food safety standards such as GMP, HACCP, ISO in their process to ensure the safety of their products for consumers and to meet up to the regulations set by the authorities in India and in different countries where it exports the spices.
Please see certificates attached.
How many countries does Eastern export spices to and does it follow quality norms for all countries?
Eastern is India’s largest exporter of spices. Eastern spices are sold worldwide and as a responsible manufacturer it follows quality norms in all the countries. The company’s substantial market shares and global acceptance testifies its commitment to purity, quality, and safety for consumers across the globe. We strictly adhere to the quality standards of each country and implement them in our supply chain and process by efficient food safety management systems.
Should I be worried about the safety and hygiene of spices from Eastern?
All Eastern products are 100% safe to consume and comply to regulatory norms. Please continue to enjoy using them without any worry.
What are the common recipes that I can cook?
You can cook lots of delicious recipes with Eastern spices.
Please see the list of recipes you can cook here
10. Where can I contact if I have more questions about eastern products?
Please email us at feedback@eastern.in for any questions or clarifications regarding any of our products.