Overview
ISO 7928-1:1991 - "Savory - Specification - Part 1: Winter savory (Satureja montana Linnaeus)" defines quality, compositional and presentation requirements for commercial winter savory. The standard applies to winter savory sold as sprigs, whole leaves or broken leaves and excludes summer savory (covered in Part 2). Annexes provide informative guidance on storage/transport and typical chromatograms.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and description: Covers perennial herb Satureja montana (family Lamiaceae), the commercial forms (sprigs 15–30 cm; whole/broken leaves) and sensory expectations (typical strong aromatic, carvacrol‑like odour and hot flavour).
- Physical purity limits:
- Extraneous matter: total extraneous vegetable/animal/mineral matter not to exceed 1% (m/m).
- Broken stems: when marketed as leaves, broken stems shall not exceed 5% (m/m).
- Freedom from contaminants: product shall be free from living insects and moulds and practically free from dead insects, fragments and rodent contamination visible to the naked eye (or under magnification up to x10).
- Chemical and compositional controls: the standard specifies limits/requirements for moisture content, total ash, acid‑insoluble ash and minimum volatile oil content. Test methods are referenced (ISO 939, ISO 928, ISO 930, ISO 6571, ISO 2825, ISO 927). For exact numeric limits and analytical procedures consult the full ISO 7928‑1:1991 text.
- Chromatographic profile: volatile oil obtained by dry distillation should contain main constituents such as γ‑terpinene, p‑cymene, linalool, 1‑terpinen‑4‑ol and carvacrol; gas chromatography is used for qualitative profiling (with guidance in informative Annex B).
- Sampling, packing and marking:
- Sampling per ISO sampling provisions.
- Packing in materials that protect volatile oils and moisture (e.g., tins, lined wooden cases, new jute bags with liners).
- Mandatory marking items include product name, producer/packer, batch code, net mass, producing country, destination and reference to this part of ISO 7928.
Applications and users
ISO 7928-1:1991 is used by:
- Spice and herb growers, harvesters and commercial processors for product specification and acceptance criteria.
- Quality control and analytical laboratories verifying moisture, ash and volatile oil content and performing gas chromatography profiles.
- Importers, exporters, packers and food traders to set purchase/specification contracts and ensure compliance.
- Regulatory bodies and standards organisations for trade inspections and consumer protection.
- Food manufacturers and seasoning formulators who require consistent sensory and chemical quality of winter savory.
Related standards
ISO 7928 consists of Part 1 (winter savory) and Part 2 (summer savory). ISO 7928-1:1991 references analytical methods and related standards such as ISO 939, ISO 928, ISO 930, ISO 6571, ISO 2825, ISO 927 for specific test methods; consult these documents for laboratory procedures.
Keywords: ISO 7928-1:1991, winter savory, Satureja montana, savory specification, spices and condiments, volatile oil, moisture content, packaging, chromatography.