ISO/DIS 6754:2025(en)

ISO TC 34/SC 7

Secretariat: BIS

Date: 2025-05-02

Dried thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) - Specification

Thym séché (Thmus vulgaris L.) — Spécifications

© ISO 2025

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Contents

Foreword iv

1 Scope 1

2 Normative references 1

3 Terms and definitions 1

4 Requirments 2

5 Samplying …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3

6 Test methods 4

7 Packing and marking 4

Foreword

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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34 [food product], Subcommittee SC7, [Spice, culinary herbs and condiments].

The main changes are as follows:

— Normative references modified to make them undated references.

— Definition of extraneous matter and foreign matter modified as given in ISO 927

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

Dried thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) - Specification

This International Standard specifies the requirements for dried thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) leaves in the rubbed form.

Recommendations relating to storage and transport conditions are given in annex A.

The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

ISO 565, Test sieves — Metal wire cloth, perforated metal plate and electroformed sheet — Nominal sizes of openings

ISO 927, Spices and condiments — Determination of extraneous matter and foreign matter content

ISO 928, Spices and condiments — Determination of total ash

ISO 930, Spices and condiments — Determination of acid-insoluble ash

ISO 939, Spices and condiments — Determination of moisture content

ISO 948, Spices and condiments — Sampling

ISO 2825, Spices and condiments-Preparation of a ground sample for analysis

ISO 6571, Spices, condiments and herbs — Determination of volatile oil content (hydrodistillation method)

For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.

3.1

Dried rubbed thyme

clean thyme consisting of the dried leaves and flowers of Thymus vulgaris L. in the rubbed form

3.2

Leave and flowers of thyme

The leaves have a linear shape and their length varies from 1 mm to 5 mm. The leaves of dried thyme are ash green to brownish grey in colour according to their origin. The colour of the dried flower varies from purplish pink to brownish pink.

3.3

Foreign matter

All matter visible to the naked eye or with a maximum 10 times magnifying power that is not part of the plant to which the spice or herb belongs;

EXAMPLE The origin of macro foreign matter can be non-animal (e.g. stem, stones, straw, visible moulds, mineral, plastic, etc.) or animal (e.g. excreta, insects, and insect-defiled product) foreign matter.

3.4

Extraneous matter

All matter visible to the naked eye or with a maximum 10 times magnifying power which are species waste belong to the plant which the spice or herb belongs;

EXAMPLE Macro extraneous matter can be plant waste such as pine needles, etc. .

The spice shall conform to international, regional and national food safety and consumer protection regulations relating to adulteration (including colouring with natural or synthetic colours), contaminants (such as heavy metals and mycotoxins), pesticides, and hygienic practices.

Dried thyme shall have a characteristic odour and flavour, strong and aromatic varying according to the chemical strain (thymol thyme, linalol thyme, thymol/carvacrol thyme). The characteristic odour becomes stronger when dried thyme is rubbed between the fingers. Dried thyme shall be free from any foreign odour or flavour and especially from mustiness.

Product shall be free from rodent and other excreta, whole insects and parts (dead or alive, including mites and psocids), larvae, mouldy material and insect-defiled product when determined by the method specified in ISO 927.

The product shall not contain non-animals foreign matters exceeding 0.5%, when determined by the method specified in ISO 927.

Note: For final consumption, the products shall be free from foreign matters, when determined by the method specified in ISO 927.

The product shall not contain extraneous matters exceed the values given in table 1, when determined by the method specified in ISO 927.

Table 1 — Physical Requirements

Dried thyme shall conform to the requirements given in Table 2.

Table 2 — Chemical Requirements

5.1 Sample the dried thyme by the method specified in ISO 948. Sample preparation shall be in accordance with ISO 2825.

5.2 Samples of dried thyme, whole form shall be ground so that the whole of the material passes through a sieve of nominal size of openings 1 mm, complying with ISO 565. The material thus ground shall be used for determining the characteristics specified in Table 2.

Samples of dried thyme shall be tested for conformity to the requirements of this International standard by the methods of test referred to in tables 1 & 2.

The containers used for packing the dried thyme shall be impermeable to air, such as cases, plywood or fibre board boxes, or sacks. They shall be clean, sound, dry and made of a material that does not affect the product and which protects it from moisture, the loss of volatile matter and bright light.

The packing material shall comply with any international, regional and/or national legislation relating to food grade material and environmental protection.

The product shall be loosely packed. The containers used for packing shall be lined with paper to facilitate loose packing.

The container shall be marked or labelled with the following particulars:

a) Name and form of the product (botanical name and type of presentation);

b) Trade name or trade mark, if any;

c) Name and address of producer and/or packer

d) Producing country

e) Batch or code number

f) Shelf life of the product

g) Net mass

h) Any other information requested by the purchaser (such as the date of packing, year of harvest, etc,.

i) References to the relevant international standard if the product fulfils its specification.

1. 
   (informative)
   
   Recommendation relating to storage and transport condition

A.1 Containers should be stored in covered premises, well protected from the sun, rain and excessive heat.

A.2 The store-room should be dry, free from objectionable odour and proofed against the entry of insects and vermin.

The ventilation should be controlled so as to give good ventilation under dry conditions and to be fully closed under damp conditions.

In a storage warehouse, suitable facilities should be available for fumigation.

Fumigation should only be performed using products authorized in the importing country.

A.3 The containers should be so handled and transported that they are protected from rain, from the sun or other source of excessive heat, from unpleasant odours and from cross-infection, especially in the holds of ships.