Recent health alerts in Spain have brought back to the headlines an issue that never truly disappeared: biological contamination. Cases involving powdered infant formula, meat products, cheeses or mineral water demonstrate that the supply chain is vulnerable. Although these incidents do not directly affect the botanical extract sector, they send a clear warning. No operator is safe without preventive systems that go beyond paperwork.
In today’s nutraceutical industry, merely complying with minimum legal requirements is no longer sufficient. Food safety must be a structural principle, not a bureaucratic formality. For Corexnat, product safety is the foundation of every operation, not a cosmetic add-on.
The Current Scenario: Why Biological Alerts Are Increasing
Most health crises in recent months share a common origin: microbiology. When something fails, the consequences are immediate and devastating for any company:
• Massive product recalls from the market.
• A critical blow to brand reputation.
• Direct and indirect financial losses.
• Serious legal and regulatory problems.
• Breakdown of consumer trust.
The main actors behind these alerts are three well-known names: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus. Understanding how they behave is the first step in building effective barriers against them.
Listeria monocytogenes: The Silent Threat
Listeria is a challenging enemy. It can survive and multiply even at refrigeration temperatures, breaking traditional control assumptions. It causes listeriosis, an infection particularly dangerous for vulnerable populations: pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals.
Its effects range from septicemia to meningitis or miscarriages. As this bacterium can establish itself in industrial environments, the only valid response is rigorous hygiene, constant cleaning validations and strict environmental control.
Salmonella spp.: The Risk in Powdered Products
Salmonella is often associated with eggs or fresh products, but this is a common misconception. In dry or powdered ingredients, such as many botanical extracts, it may also appear if processes are not properly validated. Salmonellosis causes fever, severe diarrhea and dehydration that can rapidly worsen. In nutraceutical ingredients, ensuring the complete absence of Salmonella is a critical and mandatory requirement.
Staphylococcus aureus: The Toxin Hazard
This microorganism presents an additional challenge: its enterotoxins are heat-stable. This means that even if the bacteria are eliminated later, the toxins may remain active and cause rapid and severe intoxication. The key is not only disinfection, but preventing pathogen growth at any stage of handling or storage.
Botanical Extracts and Risk Management
By nature, botanical extracts are exposed from the moment the plant is in the field. Risk begins at cultivation and continues through harvesting, drying, processing, transportation and final storage. Microbial load depends on numerous factors: environmental humidity, raw material handling practices or drying efficiency. For this reason, limiting control to final product testing is a risky strategy. Control must be preventive and originate at the source.
Corexnat’s Operational Safety Model
At Corexnat, there is no improvisation. The system integrates prevention, technical control and traceability without loose ends.
Manufacturer Audits
We only work with facilities that comply with international standards. A declaration of intent is not enough; we review documentation, conduct audits and verify certifications on site.
Real HACCP System
We identify critical control points at every stage. If there is a potential microbiological risk, it is managed with specific preventive and corrective measures. HACCP is not a static document; it is a working guide.
Systematic Microbiological Control
Every botanical extract we commercialize undergoes analytical screening that includes:
• Total aerobic count.
• Yeasts and molds.
• Enterobacteriaceae.
• Strict absence of Salmonella and Listeria.
• Control of Staphylococcus aureus according to product type.
Traceability and Crisis Management
Each batch has a clear identity. We can trace it from origin to final customer within minutes. If any deviation is detected, blocking protocols and root cause analysis are activated immediately.
IFS Certification: Rigor Beyond Compliance
Corexnat holds IFS (International Featured Standards) certification. It is one of the most demanding schemes worldwide. Certification reflects an active food safety culture: continuous training, documented risk management and periodic external audits. This framework provides organizational maturity that goes far beyond legal compliance.
The European Legal Framework
Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 defines microbiological criteria within the European Union. It establishes maximum limits, pathogen absence requirements and sampling frequencies. For us, regulation is the floor, not the ceiling. Companies aiming to minimize risk must anticipate issues before legal limits are threatened.
Safety as a Business Value
In the B2B market, trust takes years to build and seconds to lose. A microbiological failure in an ingredient triggers a chain disaster: product recalls, export blocks, lawsuits and loss of high-value contracts.
Choosing suppliers who integrate safety as a structural principle is simply an intelligent decision to reduce exposure to risk. Corexnat acts as a stability safeguard for laboratories, manufacturers and international distributors.
Preventing Instead of Reacting
There is a vast difference between managing an alert and preventing it. A preventive culture requires continuous assessment of emerging risks, close monitoring of official alerts and constant protocol revision. The health landscape evolves, and we must move faster than it does.
In summary, food safety in botanical extracts is both an ethical and technical responsibility. It is not a marketing slogan but the backbone of the value chain. In a market where consumers demand transparency and authorities enforce strict oversight, anticipating risk is no longer a preferable option. It is an absolute necessity.