European Spice Association (ESA) Quality Standards¶

Overview¶

The European Spice Association (ESA) publishes ESA Quality Minima for Herbs and Spices, referenced throughout European spice trade contracts. ESA standards are not EU law but are adopted as industry norms across EU member states. They define minimum quality parameters and acceptable limits.

ESA Quality Minima for Paprika (Summary)¶

Parameter	Limit	Notes
Moisture (powder)	≤ 12%	NMT per ISO 939
ASTA Color Value	≥ 100 minimum	NLT at time of shipment
Total Ash	≤ 10%	AOAC 923.03
Acid-Insoluble Ash	≤ 1.5%	AOAC 941.03
Volatile Oil	≥ 0.2 mL/100g	AOAC 962.17
Extraneous Matter	≤ 1%	Visual separation
Salmonella	Absent/25g	n=5, c=0
E. coli	≤ 10² CFU/g	n=5, c=2

Cross-References¶

ASTA Color Value — Method and interpretation
[Specification../quality-control/specification.md) — How specs incorporate ESA limits
[Microbiology../quality-control/microbiology.md) — Microbiological criteria per ESA
Codex Standard — Codex Alimentarius CXS 242-2003