There is no formal quality grading for medicinal herbs in Australia and there isn’t a lot of information coming from overseas the quality grading of herbs can be subjective. According to Greg Whitten (Herbal Harvest,1997) The quality of herbs offered to the market varies considerably. With most ‘Trade Herbs’ 90% used in Australia are imported cheaply from Eastern Europe or Third-world countries where there is very little regard for quality and a heavy input of chemicals.
As a general rule, herbs should be used within 2 years of post harvest processing.
Do you know your herbs?
There is definitely a case for sourcing organic locally grown herbs.
A recent study US counterpart, Consumer Reports, found that some popular supermarket herbs and spices contain contaminants such as arsenic and lead, so CHOICE was curious to see if Australian consumers are being exposed to the same issue.
CHOICE had 70 samples of seven different herbs and spices tested for heavy metals through an external NATA-accredited lab. There were traces of lead in every sample, and traces of arsenic in 86% of the samples.
Labelling requirements
Above is an example of a bulk herb label. Retail differ slightly as they must contain at a minimum – Best before or Used by date, name of product, weight and country of origin. More details can be found here
Sensory Testing of Herb Quality
One of the most effective ways of determining your herb quality is using sensory techniques smell, sight, sound and taste
Smell – Do the herbs smell vibrant and fresh, no musty odours.
Sight – Are your herbs vibrant looking and not dull, no visible signs of unwanted material or vermin. No mould or dirt.
Sound – Do your herbs crackle when crunched? this would indicate sufficient drying.
Taste – Do your herbs taste fresh.
Industry Requirements
Manufacturing Herbs
Larger manufacturers will require a certificate of analysis that has been tested in a lab for moisture, phytochemical structure and the afore mentioned basic requirements. However, the grade of the herbs is usually less than required for tea. This is because the finished product doesn’t usually display the quality of the starting materials.
Tea Herbs
These herbs can be broken in to two categories –
Premium-Grade
There is a high demand for premium grade teas for herbs, many fall into the Culinary categories.
Second-Grade
Usually prices for second grade fall into the ‘trade herb’ category and are cheaper. They are generally used for tea bags and where appearance isn’t important.
Culinary Herbs
The same as tea, premium herbs are processed free from sticks and stems unless selling as second grade.
Herbs for other uses
There is also a market for herbs used in other ‘non-human’ consumption market such as animal feed, biodynamic preparations, potpourri, insect repellants, dyes etc.
