How to Keep Bugs Out of Your Spices, According to an Expert

We spoke with Dr. Bryan Quoc Le, food scientist and author of Answers to 150 Food Science Questionsto find out everything you need to know about contaminated spices and how to avoid them.

What insects can be found in spices?

Each different spice attracts different species of insects. A wide variety of beetles, borers, larvae, thrips and aphids can contaminate black pepper, cardamom, coriander, ginger and turmeric.

However, the two most common insect contaminants can be found in several different spices. The cigarette beetle and drugstore beetle, named respectively for their propensity to burrow into tobacco and medicines, can also be found in a wide variety of food products.

These reddish-brown bugs are relatively small, averaging between 1/10 and 1/8 inch in size. They can contaminate several different grains, flours and seeds, but they also particularly like dried paprika, cayenne pepper and ginger.

How common are insects in spices?

The risk level of finding insects in a new spice jar is relatively low. “This type of contamination usually only occurs if the spices have been left out in the open for an extended period of time, usually at the time of harvesting, drying or distribution before import,” says Le.

And once the ingredients are imported, they undergo extensive processing before ending up in a jar. Brands like McCormick use sanitation methods, such as steam pasteurization, to mitigate the risk of unwanted contaminants. Le adds that most spices found in supermarkets have been visually inspected to ensure the absence of insects or insect parts.

“The presence of insect parts and other contaminants is likely to signal the presence of pathogens such as Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium botulinum,” says Le.

To avoid exposing consumers to disease-causing bacteria and risking possible legal action, it is in the best interest of spice companies to follow strict safety measures. Encountering these insects in the supermarket is very rare, especially if you buy spices in sealed containers.

But it’s still worth taking a few precautionary measures once you bring the spices home. He advises keeping your pantry clean and using rigid, airtight containers to store your spices.

“These insects are naturally attracted to opened, dried powders,” he explains. So minimizing access to these powders will be your safest bet.

Skill: TikTok trends, drinks, pop culture

Education: BA in Journalism and BS in Communications from NYU, Diploma in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education

On me: As an Associate Editor at Delish, Gabby works on everything from features to recipes to content for our social media channels. Before joining the team, she wrote for StarChefs Rising Stars Magazine, Mashed and Food52. When she’s not developing cocktail recipes, she’s making cocktail-inspired dishes like and . Its features cover online trends like , rank everything from to , and answer some of your most pressing food safety questions. You can also find her content posted on Delish’s TikTok, including food-related content from influencer Nara Smith who has garnered over 3 million combined views. She loves eating spicy foods, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of parmesan to every dish she can.