About 12 percent of Spice Imports are Contaminants; Rodent Hair, Insect parts Included - FDA

Insect parts, rodent hair and feces are all some of the other not-so-yummy stuff that gets into spices. According to the Food and Drug Administration, about 12 percent of the ingredients in imported spice are contaminants.

At least seven percent of the spice imports investigated had salmonella, a type of bacteria that could cause illness in humans, The New York Times reported.

"Nearly all of the insects found in spice samples were stored product pests, indicating inadequate packing or storage conditions. The presence of rodent hair (without a root) in spices is generally indicative of contamination by rodent feces ," according to the report by FDA.

Al Goetze, who has been a spice buyer for McCormick & Company for 30 years, told npr.org that most of the filth in these spices is introduced during the harvest. This is particularly true for developing countries.

"Many of the contaminants are introduced to the products from field insects and rodents. Also dirt, stones and other plant matter are picked up with the spices and herbs at time of harvest. During sun drying on tarps or concrete yards, more foreign matter and pathogens can contaminate the products," he added.

The federal health inspectors found salmonella in ginger and poppy seeds from India, allspice from Turkey and red pepper from Japan, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The United States is the largest importer of spices. The country imported 1.1 billion pounds of spices in 2009 from over 140 countries. According to the report by FDA, fewer than 2,000 people in the U.S have fallen sick due to salmonella in spices between 1973 and 2010. However, most cases might be underreported because people often forget to report their consumption of spice when they fall ill.