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100% Transparency

We publish every report.
Even the uncomfortable ones.

We test every single batch. We publish every single report. No exceptions.

0 batches tested & reports published

Why does this matter?

In India, 1 in 3 spice samples fails FSSAI quality tests.

Most brands test once a year — if at all.

Results are never made public.

You have no way to verify what's in your masala.

We think that's wrong.

So we built something different.

How Our Testing Works

Batch Produced

A new batch is freshly ground and sealed at our facility.

Independent Sampling

A random sample is sent to a NABL-accredited laboratory.

Rigorous Testing

The lab tests for heavy metals, pesticides, adulterants, and artificial colours.

Unconditional Publishing

The report is received and published publicly — regardless of the result.

Batch ID Tracing

The unique Batch ID is printed on the pack, permanently linking it to its report.

What We Test For

Heavy Metals

We check for lead, arsenic, and cadmium — toxic metals that often contaminate soil and raw spices.

Pesticide Residues

Over 250+ chemical residues are checked to ensure your spices are grown cleanly.

Adulterants

We test for sawdust, starch, and husk — cheap fillers typically added to cut mass-market spices.

Artificial Colours

We ensure zero trace of dangerous dyes like Sudan Red or Metanil Yellow.

Microbial

We screen for Salmonella and E.coli to guarantee the spices are safe for everyday cooking.

Anatomy of a Real Lab Report

Comprehensive Educational Guide: What Every Parameter Means, FSSAI Prescribed Limits & Health Impact

Lab Test Parameters Explained

Tested by NABL Accredited Laboratories

When you view or download an eirthum batch report, you'll see exact scientific values. Below is an exhaustive educational breakdown of every single parameter, its legal safety limit, and how it impacts your health if a test fails:

Biological Safety & Microbe Screening

1. Aerobic Colony Count / Total Plate Count

Standard: Max 1 × 10^6 Cfu/gm (IS : 5402)

What it means: Measures the total viable bacterial population in a spice sample. Serves as a primary indicator of overall sanitation during harvesting, sun-drying, and milling.

Health Impact if Failed: High bacterial counts indicate unhygienic post-harvest handling or contaminated irrigation. Consuming high-bacterial spices can trigger severe foodborne gastroenteritis, stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and rapid spoilage of prepared meals.

2. Yeast and Mould Count

Standard: Max 1 × 10^4 Cfu/gm (IS : 5403)

What it means: Detects microscopic fungal spores, mold, and yeast colonies that develop when spices are stored in damp conditions or packed with excess moisture.

Health Impact if Failed: Fungal proliferation generates toxic fungal metabolites known as Mycotoxins (e.g., Aflatoxins). High mold levels cause respiratory allergies, fungal infections, gut inflammation, and chronic organ toxicity (especially liver damage).

3. Salmonella

Standard: Must be ABSENT per 25g (IS : 5887 P-3)

What it means: Tests for *Salmonella* species—one of the most dangerous pathogenic bacteria transmitted via bird droppings, animal contact, or unsanitary water during open-air drying.

Health Impact if Failed: *Salmonella* contamination is a critical food safety hazard causing Salmonellosis, Typhoid fever, severe bloody diarrhea, high fever, abdominal cramps, and potential hospitalization or systemic illness in vulnerable individuals.

4. Staphylococcus aureus

Standard: Max 1 × 10^2 Cfu/gm (IS : 5887 P-2)

What it means: Screens for toxin-producing *Staphylococcus aureus* bacteria, primarily transferred through direct unhygienic human handling or poor worker hygiene during packaging.

Health Impact if Failed: *Staphylococcus* produces heat-stable enterotoxins that survive cooking temperatures. Ingesting these toxins causes rapid-onset violent food poisoning, uncontrollable vomiting, severe dehydration, and prostration within 2 to 6 hours.
Heavy Metals & Toxic Residues

5. Lead (as Pb)

Standard: Max 10.0 mg/kg (AL/SOP/6.4/C-157)

What it means: Measures toxic heavy metal lead, which accumulates in spice roots through polluted soil, contaminated industrial runoff, or illegal lead-chromate visual dyes.

Health Impact if Failed: Lead is a potent neurotoxin with no safe exposure level. Ingesting lead causes irreversible brain and nerve damage, cognitive impairment in children, anemia, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease.

6. Arsenic (as As)

Standard: Max 5.0 mg/kg (AL/SOP/6.4/C-157)

What it means: Detects toxic inorganic arsenic absorbed by spice crops from contaminated groundwater or chemical fertilizer/pesticide overuse.

Health Impact if Failed: Arsenic is a classified Group-1 human carcinogen. Long-term ingestion leads to skin lesions, peripheral neuropathy, cardiovascular dysfunction, and elevated risk of bladder, lung, and skin cancers.
Quality, Purity & Essential Oils

7. Added Colouring Matter

Standard: Must be ABSENT (100% Natural)

What it means: Tests for illegal synthetic chemical dyes (e.g., Sudan Red, Metanil Yellow, Rhodamine B) added by dishonest traders to fake rich redness or bright yellowing in old/faded spices.

Health Impact if Failed: Industrial azo dyes like Sudan Red are banned toxic carcinogens. Consuming dye-adulterated spices causes severe hepatic (liver) and renal (kidney) failure, gene mutations, allergic shock, and cancer.

8. Acid Insoluble Ash (on dry basis)

Standard: Max 1.3% to Max 2.0% (IS : 1797)

What it means: Measures insoluble siliceous dirt, sand, soil particles, or ground stone dust remaining after treating incinerated ash with dilute hydrochloric acid.

Health Impact if Failed: High acid insoluble ash indicates heavy dirt/sand contamination or deliberate weight-cheating with stone dust. Ingesting grit erodes tooth enamel, causes gastric mucosal abrasion, and increases risk of kidney stone formation over time.

9. Volatile Essential Oil (on dry weight basis)

Standard: Min 0.09% to Min 0.1%+ (IS : 1797)

What it means: Measures the percentage of natural aromatic essential oils (e.g., Linalool, Anethole, Eugenol, Capsaicin) that give genuine spices their therapeutic aroma, flavor depth, and medicinal benefits.

Health Impact if Failed: Low volatile oil indicates "spent spices"—de-oiled industrial waste where valuable oils were extracted before grinding, or heavy dilution with inert fillers. Spent spices lack digestive enzymes, taste flat, and cheat consumer value.

10. Moisture Content

Standard: Max 9.0% to Max 12.0% (IS : 1797)

What it means: Measures the percentage of residual water/humidity in ground spices. Optimal low moisture ensures long shelf life and freshness.

Health Impact if Failed: Excess moisture (>12%) causes rapid lump formation, oxidation of essential oils, and creates a breeding ground for dangerous mold growth and bacterial fermentation inside sealed jars.

11. Total Ash (on dry basis)

Standard: Max 7.0% to Max 8.0% (IS : 1797)

What it means: Measures the total inorganic mineral residue left after completely burning off all organic plant material at 550°C in a muffle furnace.

Health Impact if Failed: Elevated total ash reveals adulteration with inorganic mineral powders (such as chalk powder, calcium carbonate, or excess soil) used to artificially boost product weight.

12. Crude Fibre

Standard: Max 30.0% (IS : 1797)

What it means: Measures the indigestible woody cell wall material (lignin and cellulose) present in spices like Chilli Powder.

Health Impact if Failed: High crude fibre indicates adulteration with low-grade agricultural waste like wood sawdust, rice husk, or dried stalk fibers, causing digestive distress, flatulence, and loss of spice potency.

13. Non-Volatile Ether Extract (NVEE, dry basis)

Standard: Min 12.0% (IS : 1797)

What it means: Measures fixed oils, oleoresins, natural color pigments, and heat/pungency compounds (Capsaicinoids) in spices.

Health Impact if Failed: Low NVEE indicates depleted spice quality, solvent-extracted spent residues, or heavy filler dilution, reducing culinary warmth, digestive stimulation, and health benefits.

14. Extraneous Matter / Foreign Matter

Standard: Must be ABSENT / Max 1.0%

What it means: Tests for physical foreign adulterants such as foreign seeds, chaff, insect fragments, stems, or packaging debris.

Health Impact if Failed: Foreign matter introduces physical choking hazards, unhygienic insect/pest debris, and unwanted plant allergens into everyday cooking.

Verify Your Batch

Enter the Batch ID found on the bottom of your eirthum jar to instantly view its independent lab analysis report.

What happens if a batch fails our tests?

Simple. We don't sell it.

The report still gets published.

The batch gets destroyed.

You never see it on a shelf.

This has happened. We're not perfect.

But you'll always know.

Common Questions

All our testing is conducted by completely independent, third-party laboratories. We do not test our own products internally for these reports to ensure zero bias.

NABL stands for National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. It is the highest standard of laboratory accreditation in India, meaning their results are highly accurate, globally recognized, and legally binding.

We do not sell batches that fail FSSAI safety limits. However, if you have any questions about a specific value or trace element on a report, you can contact our support team and our quality assurance experts will walk you through the science.

We test every single production batch. Not once a year. Not randomly. Every single batch gets its own test and its own published report.

You don't need to request it—it's already published! Just use the "Verify Your Batch" tool on this page to instantly pull up the report.