two out of three kilos of cinnamon that are imported to the EU have problems
In 2022, the European Commission He did a study about the most popular spices on the market. The radiography was bleak: the fraud was the order of the day. Moreover, it was something extremely common. We talk about pepper, cumin, turmeric the saffron or paprika. That was a huge scandal and the same commission asked the Member States to reinforce the controls. What happened next can not surprise anyone. Let’s talk about cinnamon. In 2023, cinnamon was the fifth most imported spice in La Unión. In recent months, the commission science and knowledge service (The Joint Research Center) analyzed more than a hundred samples of cinnamon marketed in a dozen countries of the European Union. The result? More than 66% of the samples analyzed They have problems. What happens to them? Either they violate the international quality regulations or the food security legislation of the European Union. Some present indications of fraud, others a high amount of lead and some more exceed the legal limits of coumarin (a substance that, although natural, is potentially toxic to the liver). That without having fraud, of course. Up to 9% of the samples labeled as Canela de Ceilán were totally or partially replaced By Canela de Cassia, “a cheaper and lower quality alternative, with a stronger flavor and that contains cumarina naturally.” What we can do. That is the worst. Judging by the results of the JRC, we can do little with the media we have right now. “The type of irregularities detected in cinnamon, including fraudulent practices, is diverse and cannot be addressed with a single analytical technique, so standardized methods are needed,” The commission says. Taking the problem seriously, leading to take action on the matter. Above all, because the high rate of irregular samples of cinnamon in the European market indicates that “all actors in the sector, from political leaders to control laboratories and manufacturers, must pay attention.” Image | Michael Collett In Xataka | It seems honey, it smells like honey, it knows honey, it is not honey: the fraud in the imports that it ravages to Europe
