Frontier QUALITY ASSURANCE TECHNICAL BULLETIN:

BAY LEAF PURITY -- 2/03/06

Frontier's Quality Assurance Department has prepared the following report to inform Frontier staff and customers of the industry-wide problem of adulterated/mislabeled bay leaf and how the adulteration can be identified.

The spice known since ancient times as bay, sweet bay or laurel leaf comes from a small tree native to the Mediterranean region-- Laurus nobilis L. This is also the botanical recognized by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as bay spice and listed as GRAS (generally recognized as safe for human consumption). Even though this is the only botanical that can be correctly labeled as bay leaf in the United States, in recent years several spice companies have sold a different herb as bay--California bay ( Umbellularia californica Nutt). This plant has no GRAS status and is not listed in the Code of Federal Regulations as a spice.

California bay leaves are similar in appearance to sweet bay, but are generally longer, darker green and considered "more attractive" than the light green, tinged with brown, smaller leaves of sweet bay. To someone familiar with both leaves, it is fairly easy to tell the difference just by appearance (see the picture above). The flavor of California bay is similar to sweet bay, but with a harsher, more camphor-like flavor. Sweet bay has a pleasantly sweet, spicy flavor.

The major constituents of the essential oil of sweet bay leaves are 1,8-cineole (50%), terpinyl acetate, linalool and other constituents which gives it the eucalyptus-like, but very delicate spicy aroma. The major constituents in the essential oil of California bay are umbellulone and 1,8-cineole. Umbellulone, is considered a central nervous system toxin when consumed and when inhaled may cause sneezing, headache and sinus irritation.

Frontier authenticates our bay leaves by distilling the essential oil and conducting GC (gas chromatography) testing. Note the difference in the chromatograms of the two oils shown below.

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A pound organic bay leaf is only $12.90, but what would you do with a POUND?

I can go through a pound of cayenne or curry in a year, but a pound of bay leaf would probably not be used up in 9 lives.