SIST ISO 973:2026

• Abstract:

  This document specifies the requirements for pimento or allspice [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.], whole or ground. ; Recommendations relating to storage and transport conditions are given in Annex A.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 05-Oct-2026
• ICS: 67.220.10 - Spices and condiments
• Technical Committee: KŽP - Agricultural food products
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 06-Oct-2026
• Due Date: 11-Dec-2026
• Completion Date: 06-Oct-2026
• Ref Project: ISO 973:2026 - Pimento [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.], whole or ground — Specification

• Replaces: SIST ISO 973:2000 - Pimento (allspice) [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.], whole or ground -- Specification
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2026

SIST ISO 973:2026 is the Slovenian standard identical to ISO 973:2026, published by SIST. It specifies requirements for pimento or allspice [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.], whole or ground, so producers, packers, laboratories, buyers and inspectors can check quality, sampling, testing, packing and marking.

What does SIST ISO 973:2026 specify?

SIST ISO 973:2026 specifies the requirements for pimento or allspice, in whole form or ground form. It also gives practical guidance for storage and transport in Annex A, which helps keep the spice protected after packing and during shipment.

Annex	What it covers
Annex A	Recommendations relating to storage and transport conditions

The document is organized into scope, normative references, terms and definitions, requirements, sampling, test methods, and packing and marking. That structure matters in practice because it shows where to find the quality limits, how to sample, how to test, and what to put on the container label.

What are the key requirements of SIST ISO 973:2026?

SIST ISO 973:2026 focuses on sensory quality, cleanliness, chemical quality and product identification. The requirements in clause 4 and the sampling and packing rules in clauses 5 and 7 are the parts most users will apply when accepting or rejecting a lot.

Sensory quality and cleanliness

• Pimento shall have the characteristic mixed flavour, dominated by clove notes with cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper. It shall be free from foreign taste or odour, including rancidity and mustiness. In practice, this is the first check for freshness and suitability for trade.
• The product shall be free from animal foreign matter such as excreta, whole insects and parts, larvae, mouldy material and insect-defiled product when tested by ISO 927. This matters because visible contamination is a common acceptance issue for spices.
• Non-animal foreign matter shall not exceed 0,5 % when determined by ISO 927. For final consumption, the product shall be free from foreign matter. This is important for grading, packing and retail acceptance.
• Extraneous matter shall not exceed the values in Table 1. That controls plant waste from the same species and helps buyers distinguish cleaned product from lower-grade material.

Classification and chemical limits

• Pimento is classified into two groups, A and B, according to volatile oil content. This classification gives buyers and sellers a way to specify aroma strength and product grade.
• Table 1 gives the chemical requirements for whole and ground product, including moisture content, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, volatile oil content, non-volatile ether extract and crude fibre. These values are what laboratories compare against when checking conformity.
• Clause 5 requires sampling in accordance with ISO 948 and sample preparation in accordance with ISO 2825. Whole pimento is ground so that the material passes through a 1 mm sieve before analysis, which makes test results comparable.
• Clause 6 requires conformity testing by the methods named in Table 1. Clause 7 requires packaging that protects the spice from air, moisture, loss of volatile matter and bright light, and labeling that includes the product name and form, producer or packer, country of origin, batch or code number, best before date and net mass.

What terms does SIST ISO 973:2026 define?

• pimento - the dried, full but unripe berry of Pimenta dioica in whole or ground form, with the size and colour described in clause 3.
• foreign matter - visible matter, including up to 10x magnification, that is not part of the plant to which the spice belongs.
• extraneous matter - visible matter from the same plant species that is waste rather than usable spice material.
• Group A / Group B - the two product groups used in the classification of pimento according to volatile oil content.

Who uses SIST ISO 973:2026?

SIST ISO 973:2026 is used by spice producers, processors, packers, laboratories, inspectors and buyers who need a shared specification for pimento. It is also relevant to quality managers and procurement teams that set acceptance criteria for whole or ground allspice. In practice, they use it to define lot quality, arrange sampling and testing, prepare labels, and check whether a shipment matches the agreed specification.

What changed in SIST ISO 973:2026 from the previous edition?

SIST ISO 973:2026 replaces SIST ISO 973:2000. The foreword states that this third edition is technically revised, with updated normative references, a decreased moisture content limit, and the addition of “best before date” in 7.2.

Which standards are used with SIST ISO 973:2026?

The document cites these normative references, each contributing a specific test or preparation step:

• ISO 565 - sieve opening sizes for the 1 mm sieve used in sample preparation.
• ISO 927 - determination of extraneous matter and foreign matter content.
• ISO 928 - determination of total ash.
• ISO 930 - determination of acid-insoluble ash.
• ISO 939 - determination of moisture content.
• ISO 948 - sampling of spices and condiments.
• ISO 1108 - determination of non-volatile ether extract.
• ISO 2825 - preparation of a ground sample for analysis.
• ISO 5498 - determination of crude fibre content.
• ISO 6571 - determination of volatile oil content by hydrodistillation.

What does the SIST ISO 973:2026 document contain?

SIST ISO 973:2026 contains a requirements table in clause 4 that combines sensory, physical and chemical criteria with the corresponding test methods. It also contains a sampling clause that explains how to prepare whole pimento for analysis, and a packing and marking clause that is directly useful for trade documents and container labels.

Annex A gives storage and transport recommendations, including protection from sun, rain, heat, odours and cross-infection. For practical use, this makes the document relevant not only to quality testing but also to warehouse handling, shipping and receiving checks.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-november-2026
Nadomešča:
SIST ISO 973:2000
Piment [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.], v zrnu ali mleti - Specifikacija (ISO 973:2026)
Pimento [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.], whole or ground — Specification (ISO 973:2026)
Titre manque (ISO 973:2026)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: ISO 973:2026
ICS:
67.220.10 Začimbe Spices and condiments
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

International
Standard
ISO 973
Third edition
Pimento [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.],
2026-05
whole or ground — Specification
Reference number
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Requirements . 2
4.1 Favour and odour .2
4.2 Physical requirements .2
4.2.1 Foreign matter from animals .2
4.2.2 Foreign matter from non-animals .2
4.2.3 Extraneous matter . . .2
4.3 Classification .2
4.4 Chemical requirements . .2
5 Sampling . 3
6 Test methods . 3
7 Packing and marking . 3
7.1 Packing .3
7.2 Marking .3
Annex A (informative) Recommendation relating to storage and transport conditions . 5

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was
...

International
Standard
ISO 973
Third edition
Pimento [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.],
2026-05
whole or ground — Specification
Reference number
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Requirements . 2
4.1 Favour and odour .2
4.2 Physical requirements .2
4.2.1 Foreign matter from animals .2
4.2.2 Foreign matter from non-animals .2
4.2.3 Extraneous matter . . .2
4.3 Classification .2
4.4 Chemical requirements . .2
5 Sampling . 3
6 Test methods . 3
7 Packing and marking . 3
7.1 Packing .3
7.2 Marking .3
Annex A (informative) Recommendation relating to storage and transport conditions . 5

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Food products, Subcommittee SC 7, Spices,
culinary herbs and condiments.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 973:1999), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— the normative references have been updated;
— the limit of moisture content has been decreased;
— the “best before d
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