Were analyzed for extraneous materials, 78 samples of ground cinnamon and 56 samples of ground paprika acquired in São Paulo, Brazil, from August to November, 1998. AOAC International methods were utilized and showed be adequate and gave good results. The results showed that 100,0% of the samples had insects fragments, 73,1% samples of ground cinnamon and 34,0% samples of ground paprika had rodent hairs and 37,2% and 12,5% had mites. It was suggested a review in the actual Brazilian legislation and to fix limits for insects fragments in those spices.
ground cinnamon; ground paprika; extraneous materials; microscopic analysis
