Ras el hanout

Other names Ras el-Hanout, North African spice blend
Ras el hanout: high in salicylate; moderate in histamine; low in FODMAPs, gluten, oligosaccharides, nickel and oxalates. If you're sensitive to any of these, check it against your profile before eating.
Intolerances
- SalicylateHigh
Ras el hanout can hold a dozen spices or more, and salicylic acid was found in every spice tested, so the number of ingredients is what makes this blend heavy. The recipe varies by maker, so the load varies too — a fixed blend is easier to judge than an artisanal one.
Sources· 1
- Paterson J.R. et al., J Agric Food Chem 54 (2006) 2891-2896, salicylic acid content of spices and its bioavailability
- Histamine (+liberators / DAO inhibitors)Moderate
Ras el hanout is a blend of a dozen spices or more - the name means 'head of the shop' - and several of them are liberators. The blend is the problem rather than any one spice in it, and no two shops make the same one, so the ingredient list is the only way to know what is actually in the jar.
Sources· 2
- Maintz & Novak, Am J Clin Nutr 2007
- Zuberbier et al., EAACI/GA2LEN urticaria guideline
- FODMAPsLow
Ras el hanout is low as used, but spice blends are where this axis is most often defeated by an ingredient list: garlic and onion powder are two of the five vegetables measured highest in fructan, and they appear in most mixes without being what the mix is named for. The blend is low; check that it is this blend. The dependence on serving size comes from Gibson and Shepherd, who built this approach: what these carbohydrates do is deliver fermentable substrate and water to the end of the small intestine, so the quantity decides the distension. Their trial also found that restricting them GLOBALLY works where restricting them one at a time does not.
Sources· 1
- Gibson P.R. & Shepherd S.J., J Gastroenterol Hepatol 25 (2010) 252-258, the framework this axis rests on
- GlutenPossible
Ras el hanout is a blend of a dozen spices or more, and blends are where flour gets used as a bulking or anti-caking agent, and flour is where the gluten would be. No two shops make the same one, so there is no general answer - only the ingredient list of the jar in front of you.
Sources· 2
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 (gluten-free at or below 20 mg/kg)
- OligosaccharidesFODMAPsLow
Ras el hanout is a spice blend, and spices are seeds, barks and dried flowers used in pinches. The oligosaccharide would come from the alliums, so the variable is whether a given blend includes garlic or onion powder, which some do and the traditional versions do not.
- NickelLow
Ras el hanout blends a dozen or more spices, sometimes many more. Its level is an average of theirs, and the recipe varies from one shop to the next. The nickel here follows a study of SPICES that analysed the powder directly instead of digesting it first.
Sources· 1
- Virgilio A. et al., J Braz Chem Soc 26:10 (2015) 1988-1993, Cd, Ni and V in spices by solid-sampling HR-CS GF-AAS
- OxalatesLow
Ras el hanout can hold a dozen spices or more and no two makers agree on which, so there is no single composition for it to have. Nobody eats a hundred grams of a spice. The level here reflects the portion: the oxalate is concentrated in the jar and negligible on the plate, and both are true at once.
- LactoseFODMAPsNone
- FructoseFODMAPsNone
- SorbitolFODMAPsNone
- SucroseNone
- TyramineNone
Intolerance levels are based on our documented scientific sources. See sources →
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Frequently asked questions
Which intolerances does Ras el hanout affect?
Ras el hanout is notable for salicylate, histamine, FODMAPs, gluten, oligosaccharides, nickel and oxalates. Clear on lactose, fructose, sorbitol, sucrose and tyramine.
Does Ras el hanout contain salicylate?
Yes — Ras el hanout is high in salicylate. Ras el hanout can hold a dozen spices or more, and salicylic acid was found in every spice tested, so the number of ingredients is what makes this blend heavy. The recipe varies by maker, so the load varies too — a fixed blend is easier to judge than an artisanal one.
Does Ras el hanout contain histamine?
Ras el hanout contains moderate levels of histamine. Ras el hanout is a blend of a dozen spices or more - the name means 'head of the shop' - and several of them are liberators. The blend is the problem rather than any one spice in it, and no two shops make the same one, so the ingredient list is the only way to know what is actually in the jar.
Does Ras el hanout contain FODMAPs?
Ras el hanout contains only low levels of FODMAPs. Ras el hanout is low as used, but spice blends are where this axis is most often defeated by an ingredient list: garlic and onion powder are two of the five vegetables measured highest in fructan, and they appear in most mixes without being what the mix is named for. The blend is low; check that it is this blend. The dependence on serving size comes from Gibson and Shepherd, who built this approach: what these carbohydrates do is deliver fermentable substrate and water to the end of the small intestine, so the quantity decides the distension. Their trial also found that restricting them GLOBALLY works where restricting them one at a time does not.
Does Ras el hanout contain gluten?
Ras el hanout contains only low levels of gluten. Ras el hanout is a blend of a dozen spices or more, and blends are where flour gets used as a bulking or anti-caking agent, and flour is where the gluten would be. No two shops make the same one, so there is no general answer - only the ingredient list of the jar in front of you. Amounts vary by brand and recipe, so always check the label of the exact product.
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