Purchasing Spices as Tourist Souvenirs—A Risk Assessment in the Context of Sustainable Tourism Development

Tourism plays an important role in the economic and social development of many countries and regions. Tourists buy food, such as canned food, alcohol, and spices, which increases the value of a trip, fulfilling a cultural, sentimental, educational, and marketing role whilst documenting the trip, or they become gifts for family and friends. However, spices may not be of the appropriate quality or may even be harmful to health due to contamination or adulteration. Therefore, the aim of the paper was to present spices as culinary souvenirs and to indicate some risks that may arise from their consumption. To date, only few such studies have been published in this area. A literature review was conducted and data from Eurostat, Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) and Web of Science were used. The most serious hazards in spices are pathogens, pesticides, and mycotoxins in products from Asia. Adequate awareness needs to be built among tourists and tour operators about where to buy spices that are risk-free and not adulterated. It will contribute to the development of sustainable food tourism. Further research may look at specific types of spices and where they are purchased highlighting the issue of authenticity and traceability.