Frontier's Natural vs. Organic Herbs and Spices
Today, Frontier offers the option of both natural and certified organic herbs and spices. What's the difference?
Organic: All of our organic products are certified to the National Organic Program by Quality Assurance International and are natural. Organic standards cover how a product is grown and harvested as well as post-harvest processing, treatment and handling.
Natural: Our natural products standard covers post-harvest treatment, ingredients and processing. We do not purchase any herbs or spices that have been treated with irradiation or chemicals such as ethylene oxide (EtO) and there are a number of other ingredients and processes that are not allowed:
| INGREDIENTS NOT ALLOWED |
NATURAL ALTERNATIVES ALLOWED |
| Artificial colors |
Natural colors such as turmeric and beet |
| Artificial flavors |
Natural flavors |
| Synthetic chemical preservatives and antioxidants such as BHA, BHT, TBHQ, benzoates and nitrates |
Natural preservatives such as vitamins C and E |
| Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine |
Natural sweeteners such as brown rice syrup, stevia and cane sugar |
| Artificial flavor enhancers such as MSG and guanylate |
Natural flavor enhancers such as spices and citric acid |
| Synthetic, free-slowing/anti-caking agents such as tricalcium phosphate |
Silicon dioxide |
| PROCESSES NOT ALLOWED |
NATURAL ALTERNATIVES ALLOWED |
| Chemical sterilization such as ethylene oxide, or propylene oxide |
Steam sterilization |
| Treatment with irradiation |
|
| Methyl Bromide for pesticide treatment |
CO2 |
Any process using petrochemicals such as in benzene for extraction |
Natural processes such as alcohol extraction
Physical processes such as cutting, grinding, blending, cooking, and baking
Simple chemical processes such as fermentation, acidification and hydrolysis |
