Herbs and Spices Market Analysis 2026

As per Cognitive Market Research's latest published report,The Europe Herbs and Spices market size will be $8,479.71 Million by 2028.The Europe Herbs and Spices Industry's Compound Annual Growth Rate will be 4.31% from 2023 to 2030. 

Introduction of Herbs and Spices

Spices are natural plant products used to improve the flavour, aroma, taste and color of food products. They are also used in beverages, liquors, and pharmaceutical, cosmetic and perfumery products. Herbs are the group of plants consumed for macronutrients with savory and aromatic properties and are used for flavouring, garnishing of food and also for medicinal purpose. Thus, herbs and spices have been used for cooking and medicinal purpose.

According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) report, there are about 109 spices grown in different parts of the world. Based on plant parts, the spices are classified into leaf, root, bulb, fruit, seed, etc. Further, based on economic importance spices are classified into major spices and minor spices. Major spices include Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), Chilli (Capsicum annum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), turmeric (Curcuma longa), cardamom (Amomum subulatum) and others. Minor spices include Ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi), celery, parsley, dill caraway (Carum carvi), black cumin (Nigella sativa), black caraway and others. Based on climate requirement of the crop, spices are divided into tropical, subtropical and temperate spices. Herbs include oregano, thyme (Thymus vulgaris), basil (Ocimum basilicum), Mint (Mentha aquatic), rosemary and others. 

The herbs and spices are processed and used in the form of powder & granules, oleoresins, extracts, paste or these are consumed whole or fresh.

During the post-harvest period, spices and aromatic herbs, like other agricultural goods, are susceptible to a wide spectrum of biological and chemical contamination. Traditional drying of spices and aromatic herbs on the floor associated with unhygienic conditions exposed them to chemical and microbial contamination by heavy metal. Moreover, the spices can be contaminated by other toxic substances, such as the aflatoxins that can be produced through the presence of Aspergillus flavus.

The postharvest handling operations of the spices includes operations such as washing, peeling, pricking, blanching and others. Spices invariably contain high moisture (55-85%) at the time of harvest, which must be brought down to 8-12%. Furthermore, spices also vary in shape, texture, size, colour, etc. as they may be fruits, berries, barks, seeds, leaves, rhizomes, roots, flower parts, etc. Therefore, their pre-treatment such as curing, cleaning, and methods of processing also vary considerably. Processed plant materials should be packaged as soon as feasible to prevent product quality degradation and to defend against pest assaults and other sources of contamination. Processed plant materials should be packaged in clean, dry boxes, sacks, bags or other containers according to the standard operating procedures and national and/or regional regulations of the producer and the end-user countries.

Moreover, quality storage is an important step in post-harvest handling operations both on-farm and off-farm, with cool stores and warehousing facilities linked to post-harvest crop management. It is essential that the moisture level of the spice to be stored is at a safe level before storage. This is usually below 10% moisture.

Herbs and spices are foods that are rich source of bioactive molecules such as sulphur-containing compounds, tannins, alkaloids, phenolic diterpenes, and vitamins, especially flavonoids and polyphenols Spices and herbs such as clove, rosemary, sage, oregano, and cinnamon are excellent sources of antioxidants with their high content of phenolic compounds.