‘Variety is the Spice of Life’ – and with over 70 seasonings in our range, it’s safe to say that we live by this motto! The right seasoning can transform a mediocre dish into a delicious one. So valuable are seasonings that they were once accepted as currency and could even be used to pay taxes! Let's take nothing for granted and care for our seasonings as we would our trainers, cars and cell phones.
Many people will have experienced the horror of finding bugs, particularly pantry moths, in their seasonings or dry foods such as rice, flour and pasta. Attracted by scents from open packets, spillages and the like, these bugs find their way into cupboards and lay eggs to create more bug babies (ewww!). When an infestation is discovered, all foods at risk of contamination should be thrown out and the area thoroughly cleaned, all of which can be wasteful, costly and time-consuming. As the saying goes: ‘prevention is better than a cure’, so, below are our tips for keeping your seasonings bug-free!
Store in a suitable container
Tropical Sun’s seasonings all come in UK standards-compliant re-sealable plastic tubs and so needn’t be emptied into another container, but if your seasoning comes in a polythene or paper pouch that is hard to securely re-seal, easy to damage or liable to become damp, then be sure to transfer the contents to a re-sealable plastic or glass container.
Store in dark, cool and dry conditions
The shelf life of a seasoning can be reduced when exposed to light, oxygen, heat and/ or moisture and so our tubs help to extend the shelf life by blocking out light, creating an oxygen barrier, reflecting heat and keeping out moisture. They are also designed to make the contents easy-to-use by having a large opening, big enough for a tea spoon. Shakers and pourers are not recommended as moisture and heat can be absorbed by the seasoning when held over hot, steaming food.
Kitchen cupboards are generally good places to store seasonings – providing they meet the above conditions.
Keep your storage area clean and free of any spilt seasonings or food
Flies and bugs can locate foods through smell, so be sure to keep your area clean to reduce the chance of unwanted guests. This includes ensuring all food containers have their lids firmly screwed on as even the tiniest opening in a container can be enough to invite them in.
Buy from reputable suppliers
Whilst the most common source of bugs in seasonings is poor storage, in rare cases where disreputable suppliers are concerned, bugs may originate from inside the seasoning, having made their way into the containers during the production process. To avoid such scenarios, consumers should buy their seasonings from reputable suppliers. Our seasonings factory is rated Grade A in Global Food Standards for Food Safety by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
As well as being sourced from approved and reputable producers, Tropical Sun’s seasonings are treated with EU-compliant pesticides, heat-treated and then steam sterilised – a process that means that it’s highly unlikely (if not impossible) any living creature could survive the production process.
If you’re keen to know more about a brand’s food safety policies, including our own, then you should be able to contact them directly with questions, or to request details of general policies.
Life without seasoning – there can be no reasoning!
Enjoy the flavours of the world in the way that they were intended: 100% bug-free!
