Private-label spices and masalas: grinding, packaging and the spec

Whole vs ground spices, particle size and grinding heat, barrier films, moisture and shelf life, and what a private-label spice and masala spec should include.

This guide will help you decide between whole and ground spices for a private-label range, set particle size and packaging, and write a spec your supplier can be held to.

Whole or ground

Most ranges carry both. Each has trade-offs for a private-label buyer.

	Whole	Ground
Flavour life	Long; volatile oil sits inside the seed or bark	Shorter; grinding exposes oil to air
Microbial risk	Lower surface exposure	Higher; often needs steam treatment
Adulteration risk	Easier to see foreign seeds or dyes	Harder to detect without lab tests
Customer convenience	Lower	Higher
Packing	Tolerates lower-barrier packs	Needs better barrier against moisture, light and aroma loss

A practical approach: sell high-volume cooking spices (chilli, turmeric, coriander, cumin powder) and masalas ground, and keep whole spices for the cooks who temper and grind at home.

Grinding and particle size

Fix the particle size in numbers

"Fine powder" means different things to different millers. Write it as a sieve result, for example "minimum 95% passing through a 500 micron sieve" or a stated mesh size. Common ranges:

Coarse (crushed chilli, coarse black pepper): visible pieces, often 1–3 mm
Medium (most cooking powders, many masalas): roughly 30–60 mesh
Fine (turmeric, some chilli powders for colour): 60 mesh and finer

Finer powders give better colour release and a smoother texture, but lose aroma faster and cake more easily in humid markets. Agree the range with your test kitchen before production.

Control heat during grinding

Hammer and pin mills generate heat, and heat drives off volatile oil. Options in rising order of cost:

Ambient grinding with controlled feed rate and good airflow
Water-cooled grinders
Cryogenic grinding with liquid nitrogen, which keeps more volatile oil in high-value spices such as cardamom, cumin and black pepper

Ask your supplier which method they use and request volatile oil results on the ground product, not only on the whole raw material.

Masalas

Get the formula in writing, with each ingredient and its percentage. You own the recipe if you paid for its development; say so in the contract.
Agree whether ingredients are roasted, and to what colour.
Specify the blending time and a uniformity check, since heavy and light particles separate in transit.
The ingredients list must follow your market's rules, usually in descending order by weight.

Packaging films and barrier

Ground spices need protection from three things: moisture, oxygen and light. Aroma also escapes through some films. Two numbers describe a film's barrier:

WVTR (water vapour transmission rate), in g/m²/day
OTR (oxygen transmission rate), in cc/m²/day

Lower is better for both. Ask the converter for the figures on the laminate you choose.

Laminate (outside to inside)	Barrier	Notes
PET / PE	Low to medium	Clear; fine for fast-moving whole spices
BOPP / CPP	Low to medium	Low cost; limited aroma barrier
PET / MET-PET / PE	Good	Metallised layer blocks light; common for ground spices
PET / aluminium foil / PE	Very high	Best for long shelf life, export and humid markets
Kraft paper with barrier liner	Depends on liner	Premium look; check the liner

Points to watch:

Windows let light in. Chilli and turmeric fade under shop lights.
Plain PE in contact with the spice can absorb some aroma.
Zippers help after opening but add cost and a weak point for seal failures.
Jars and shakers (PET or glass) need a sealed inner liner or induction seal.
Seal strength and leak tests should be part of the converter's specification.

Moisture and shelf life

Moisture is the main driver of caking, mould and loss of quality. The European Spice Association recommends a maximum water activity of 0.65 for dried spices. Moisture limits in specs commonly sit around 8–12%, depending on the spice.

Typical best-before periods used by spice packers, assuming good barrier packaging and dry storage:

Product	Typical best-before
Whole spices, high-barrier pack	18–24 months
Ground spices, metallised or foil laminate	12–18 months
Masalas with oil-rich ingredients	9–12 months
Ground spices in clear, low-barrier packs	6–9 months

Set your date after a shelf-life check: hold packed samples at normal and raised temperature and humidity, then test aroma, colour and moisture at intervals.

What to put in the spec

A good spice spec covers identity, physical quality, chemistry, safety and packing.

Identity and form - Common and botanical name, origin, whole or ground, particle size

Physical and chemical - Moisture, max % - Total ash and acid-insoluble ash, max % - Volatile oil, min ml/100 g - Extraneous matter, max % - Colour: ASTA colour for chilli and paprika; curcumin % for turmeric - Pungency for chilli (SHU or capsaicinoids)

Food safety - Microbiology: total plate count, yeasts and moulds, E. coli, Salmonella absent in 25 g - Sterilisation method (for example steam) and a statement that ethylene oxide is not used - Pesticide residues to destination MRLs - Mycotoxins where relevant. In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets maximum levels including ochratoxin A of 20 µg/kg for capsicum spices and 15 µg/kg for most other spices and spice mixes, and aflatoxin limits for chilli, pepper, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric - Heavy metals, including lead, against destination limits - Absence of illegal dyes such as Sudan dyes - Allergens: in the EU and UK, mustard and celery are regulated allergens. Masalas that contain them must declare them, and lines that also process them need a cross-contact review

Packing and labelling - Pack type, laminate structure, net weight and tolerance - Lot coding format, best-before date, carton marks - Pallet or carton configuration for export

Documents per lot - Certificate of analysis tied to the lot number - Sterilisation record, if treated - Phytosanitary certificate, and fumigation certificate for sea cargo where applicable

Before you order

Whole or ground decided per line, with particle size as a sieve result
Grinding method and volatile oil limits agreed
Masala formulas documented and owned
Laminate chosen, with WVTR and OTR from the converter
Best-before date backed by a shelf-life check
Full spec, including safety limits for your destination, signed by both sides

If you're building a private-label spice range, send us the spice list, form, pack sizes and destination port, and we'll come back with a written quote and a draft spec for your review.