Consumer

Seen At 11: Discount Spices Aren't Always What They Seem

January 20, 2016 / 11:18 PM EST / CBS New York

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Spices at the supermarket can run anywhere from four to eight dollars for a small container.

So how is it you can find them for a fraction of the cost at some discount retailers?

"If you see a large container of spices for only a couple of dollars, that would raise a red flag to me," said Sabrina Sexton, Program Director of Culinary Arts at the Institution of Culinary Education.

A recent study out of England found as much as a quarter of all dried oregano sold in the United Kingdom contained substitute plant materials, CBS2's Dana Tyler reported.

Studies show cooking with dried herbs and spices can provide a wide variety of health benefits. But according to experts, if a container is old or adulterated, the product can lose its potency.

"There's definitely some unscrupulous people out there that are mixing these spices with other ingredients to stretch them," Sexton said.

CBS2 decided to do its own testing. After purchasing popular dried herbs and spices at three different discount stores, CBS2 sent them to IEH Laboratories, a Washington state-based company that specializes in food testing.

According to lab chief executive officer Monsour Samadpour, half of CBS2's samples -- including oregano, nutmeg and turmeric -- were found to be "adulterated" in some way.

"As you know, turmeric is yellow -- yellow powder. We found a good amount of corn in it," Samadpour said.

Samadpour said the oregano contained other unknown plants -- possibly weeds -- and the nutmeg was mixed with pepper.

"Pepper is cheaper than nutmeg, any day, so that constitutes economic adulteration," Samadpour said.

Samadpour said he's not surprised by the test results -- he's seen everything from wheat flour, to peanut flour added to spices.

"If you are allergic, then it can be a really bad situation," Samadpour said.

According to experts, the color and smell of dried herbs and spices can be a good indication of what you're buying. For example, paprika should be red and not brown.