How to get the finest spices and herbs
WAY TO GO
Our universe of spices
How spices are grown, harvested and handled from plant to plate are all important factors. And sometimes it might not be the country that we associate with a certain spice that offers the best variety. To obtain the highest quality, we go to the pepper plantations in southwest India, the oregano fields in Peru and the vanilla farmers in Madagascar. Instead of just looking for the best price and frequently replace our suppliers, we make sure they have everything they need, and that we pay a fair price for their amazing products.
1. SpecificationOur R&D, Quality and Procurement teams make a detailed specification on what spices we want, including taste preferences, etheric oil content, food safety requirements etc.
2. Supplier selectionWe carefully select the suppliers that match our requirements and company values.
3. Sustainable farmingTogether with agronomists at the suppliers we make sure that everything from sowing to harvesting is done right.
4. Sorting, cleaning and heat treatmentThe harvested spices are passed on to facilities where they are sorted, cleaned and in most cases heat treated.
5. Testing multiple timesEvery batch of spices is thoroughly tested at the supplier, at arrival in our spice factory and finally before packing.
6. R&D support and developmentOur R&D team is deeply involved throughout the process. They are gatekeepers of taste and every spice blend we launch is created by them.
7. Production and packingWith a few exceptions we only buy whole spices to maximise the taste and minimise the risk of food fraud. All grinding and packaging are done in our own spice factory.
8. Guidance and inspirationTo enable the best possible taste, we constantly provide our customers and their customers with guidance, education and inspiration.
GUIDING STAR #1
Taste is our passion
For over 100 years, our company has been on a mission to find the best-tasting spices and herbs in the world. To understand what flavours people love, we do plenty of sensory tests –both with consumers and expert panels. Thanks to those tests, we can define spice profiles and provide our suppliers with very detailed specifications of how each spice should taste. By choosing whole spices (currently 95% of the assortment), we minimise the risk of unwanted content. This also makes the products as fresh and flavourful as possible.
GUIDING STAR #2
Quality in every detail
When plants grow in perfect weather conditions, they naturally produce great spices. So, choosing suppliers at the right locations is one of the keys to quality. Another one is long-term cooperation with specific suppliers. We don’t buy any products from spice markets since we wouldn’t be able to control the origin or content. In our spice factories, every batch of spices needs to pass visual check-ups, siftings, tastings and lab analysis to end up in a Santa Maria package.
GUIDING STAR #3
Sustainability put into action
With almost 600 suppliers and value chains stretching to nearly 80 countries, we can make an impact when it comes to sustainability. To make sure that our suppliers meet our requirements within human rights and working conditions, we make regular visits at our suppliers’ and work together to continue working in the right direction. To make our own factories carbon neutral, we’ve made several actions during the past years. With these initiatives, the emissions from our factories have been cut by 98% since 2014.
SituationA Paulig-funded pre-study of the situation in these villages showed alarming results: A significant share of the kids was not enrolled in school.
GoalGet all children (6–14 years) in the 30 villages to complete elementary school in a safe and conductive learning environment.
Make this project a blueprint to be used in other villages, regions and countries.
ActionsTo make a real and lasting difference, we have targeted the issue from multiple angles. The keys have been to protect children’s rights, partner up and get all stakeholders onboard. It takes collaboration to break the vicious cycle of poverty.
ResultsOver 1400 children have been enrolled in school, who prior to the project did not get an education.
By the end of 2022, we saw a 95% school attendance rate in the 30 villages!
Top spices from Santa MariaExplore the big fiveSome of the best Santa Maria spices and the product features you should know about.
Essential flavouring knowledgeGet the basics of spices and herbsWhat is a spice? What is a herb? And what makes them taste great? Here are the answers.
How great spice blends add valueSee 58 reasons to use spice blendsCheck out some of our favourite spice blends and why you should use them.
