Are your seasonings safe?

Cooking with spices is a great way to add flavor without calories and sodium. Plus some may have serious health benefits. But reports of contamination in batches of imported dried spices over the last year may have you worried about what's in your spice rack.

Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration last fall issued a worrisome report that said 12 percent of imported dried spices contained "filth" such as insect fragments and rodent hairs. And about 7 percent of seasonings, most commonly leaf-based ones such as basil and oregano, contained bacteria including sal­monella, which can cause illness. That's a concern, because the U.S. imports more than 80 percent of its spices (and we eat a lot of them: 3.6 pounds annually per person, on average).

The FDA report was based on tests of 2,844 shipments of imported spices between 2007 and 2009. Those from Mexico and India had the highest rates of salmonella contamination overall. The presence of filth was attributed to unsanitary storage conditions and inadequate oversight of suppliers.

Yet the risk of buying a tainted bottle of spices is probably quite low. That's because most spices admitted to the U.S. are irradiated by their domestic importers with X-rays or gamma rays or sterilized with steam or gas to kill bad bacteria before they're packaged. Cooking the spices further cuts the risk.

And filth, though unappetizing, is a relatively normal occurrence. In fact, the FDA gives most imports, including spices, an allowable level of foreign matter such as twigs, soil, and even "field insect parts" that it has determined won't cause human harm.

You can't always tell by the package where a spice originated and what its production conditions were. But here are two steps you can take to cut your risk.

• Add spices before cooking when possible. Any bacteria are likely to be killed by the high heat.
• If you're using seasonings in a dish that's prepared cold, such as cilantro in guacamole or basil in pesto, consider buying fresh herbs. But wash them carefully in running water first: Even organic herbs can harbor bacteria such as E. coli and cyclospora that could make you sick.