BS EN ISO 7541:2020

What is ISO 7541 about?  

ISO 7541 is an International Standard on food products, mainly spices, culinary herbs and condiments. ISO 7541 discusses test methods to evaluate the extent of food colouring additives added in paprika.  

ISO 7541 specifies a test method to determine the extractable colour in paprika by measuring the absorbance of an acetone extract of the sample. 

ISO 7541 is applicable to ground paprika in every presentation (sweet, hot, smoked, etc). 

Who is ISO 7541 for?  

ISO 7541 on spices and condiments relevant to: 

• Food processing and packaging companies 
• Food testing and quality control departments 
• Food technologists 

Why should you use ISO 7541?  

Spices and condiments are an important part of human history and nutrition and have played an important role in the development of most cultures around the world. Spices have been reported to have health benefits as an antioxidant, antibiotic, antiviral, anticoagulant, anticarcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory agents. 

ISO 7541 includes the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA method) which provide the industry standard for analytical testing of spices. 

ISO 7541 can help you differentiate between natural and added food colouring in paprika. As a result, you can maintain the natural flavour of the spice while adjusting the appearance with necessary amounts of additives.  

What’s changed since the last update? 

BS EN ISO 7541:2020 replaces the first edition (ISO 7541:1989), which has been technically revised. The main changes compared with the previous edition are as follows: 

• Estimation using a spectrophotometer has been retained and estimation using coloured glass filters has been deleted 
• The normative references have been updated