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US food authorities have revealed that spices imported from India and Mexico have the highest rate of contamination.
An analysis of spice imports by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that almost 12 percent of spices brought to the US were contaminated with insects, rodent hair and their excretions, the New York Times reports.
According to the F.D.A., nearly a quarter of the spices, oils and food colorings used in America comes from India.
Federal authorities also found that nearly 7% of spice imports examined by federal inspectors were contaminated with salmonella, a toxic bacteria that can cause severe illness in humans.
The agency termed this as "a systemic challenge" to the spice producers and said most of the insects found in spices thrived in warehouses and other storage facilities.
F.D.A. inspectors also said some spices that were claimed to have been treated are also contaminated.
