The vibrant flavors of Indian spices are celebrated worldwide. Spices are the undeniably the single most important element and an essential ingredient in kitchens across the globe. Thanks to the convenience and ease to buy spices online from e-commerce platform, people’s taste buds are denied of the savory foods that have spicy fusion to it. While all of it sounds hunky dory, there is also a vital task of ensuring quality and authenticity when purchasing spices online. One effective way to do this is by understanding spice grading and certifications offered by the Indian Spice Board. These certifications assure of receiving fresh, pure, and high-quality spices.
What is spice grading?
For the unversed, spice grading is the regulatory process, a form of refinement that categorizes spices based on their quality, size, and other characteristics. An advantage of grading is that it ensures that the spices are in sync with specific standards, providing consumers with reliable products. When you buy spices online, be sure to check the proper grading as it helps to understand what you’re paying for. Common grading factors include:
- Color: Natural color is a positive factor as it indicates its quality. Bright and consistent colors are the indicators of freshness.
- Aroma: Spices are known for their distinct aroma/fragrance, a factor which is reflective of their purity.
- Size and uniformity: This is a requisite for spices such as cardamom or cloves. The reason being uniformity in size for such spices reflects that they have been carefully selected and have the better quality than rest.
Certification by the Spice Board of India
The Spice board of India is a government body dedicated to promoting and regulating the spice industry. As a regulatory body committed to promote fair practices in spice trade, it issues certifications that verify the quality, purity, and safety of spices. Hence, when you buy spices online, check for these key certifications:
1. Spices board India logo
This logo marks the authenticity of the spices and that the spices that are being sold have been sourced and processed under strict guidelines. This is also an assurance to the customers that the spices are adhered to quality benchmarks.
2. Quality Mark (India Spice Logo)
This certification is given to exporters and domestic suppliers that are on a par with the stringent quality standards. It’s a reliable marker of authenticity when purchasing spices online.
3. FSSAI Certification
While not exclusive to the Indian Spice Board, FSSAI certification ensures that the spices comply with India’s food safety regulations. It’s an important aspect to verify when you buy spices online.
4. Organic Certification
If you’re opting for organic spices, ensure they carry an organic certification approved by the Indian Spice Board. This ensures the spices are free from synthetic chemicals and pesticides.
What is the purpose of those certifications?
If you decide to purchase spices over the internet, you will not likely be able to observe the product up close. However, certifications fill this gap by offering consumers evidence on quality and safety. It safeguards the consumers against impure products and assures them the spices have been processed under clean environment.
They want to know how to ascertain the certification of spices while making purchase online.
1. Check product descriptions
From the survey most online sellers incorporated certification in their product offer. The terms used include the Indian Spice Board Certified or FSSAI approval should appear sometimes.
2. Examine packaging images
Certification logos are usually placed on the packaging of a product through the images that are taken. Compare those logos with the certification issued by the official Indian Spice Board.
3. Read review
Customer reviews and ratings reflect the nature of products and can give a true customer’s opinion. Chili information from positive feedbacks for the quality and potential taste of the dish is a typical indication of compliance with certification standards.
4. Purchase from trusted sellers
Select outlets that specifically deal in spices in order to get the best quality products. They are also more likely to buy from qualified suppliers.
Benefits of buying certified spices online
When you buy spices online with proper certification, you gain several advantages:
- Freshness and purity: Certified spices are less likely to be adulterated, ensuring that you get the genuine taste and aroma.
- Health assurance: Certifications confirm that the spices are free from harmful additives or contaminants.
- Value for money: With certified products, you can be confident about the quality you’re paying for.
Conclusion
People buy spice online as it is convenient, but quality is all that matters and one must not fall for the fake spices. Grading and certifications by the Spice Board of India reflects authenticity that helps to indicate that you are receiving the very best products. One should ensure that details mentioned herein are double checked before placing an order to savor delicious tastes from Indian spices.
Whenever you purchase spices on the internet, what you need to understand is that a few moments spent looking at the grading and certification will make the difference in the culinary experience. When decoding each preference, it empowers a practice of attaining essence of organic Indian spices into your craftily cooked dishes.
