Elite Spice

What Elite Spice does

Elite Spice, Inc. is a privately-held American spice importer and custom manufacturer founded in 1988 and headquartered in Jessup, Maryland, with a secondary manufacturing site in Sparks, Nevada. The company operates six facilities totaling more than 800,000 square feet and employs more than 500 people, sourcing raw materials from over 37 countries on six continents to serve the commercial food industry. Its product portfolio spans core manufactured categories — pure spices and herbs, custom-blended seasonings (drawing from a recipe library exceeding 40,000 unique formulations), capsicums, dehydrated onion and garlic, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, and specialty ingredients (extractives, oleoresins, MSG) — alongside integrated manufacturing services covering microbial reduction, cleaning, milling, custom blending, and packaging.

The company's core technical platform centers on in-house microbial reduction using FDA-approved Ethylene Oxide (ETO) and Propylene Oxide (PPO) fumigants, supplemented by third-party irradiation, with claimed unique expertise in pathogen elimination (Salmonella, E. Coli). Supporting manufacturing capabilities include de-stoning, de-stemming, optical sorting, air classification, magnetic separation, and metal rejection for cleaning; hammer, cutting, attrition, and roller mills for processing; and ribbon, tumbling, and climate-controlled blenders with batch capacities from 300 to 13,000 pounds. A Culinary Innovation Center functions as the R&D engine, providing ideation-through-commercialization support including sensory evaluation.

Elite Spice operates a B2B sales-led go-to-market model with regionally located field sales representatives and customer service teams in both Maryland and Nevada, supported by trade association memberships across AMI, ADS, FARRP, IFT, NSMA, RCA, SFA, and SFPA. Revenue is generated through quote-based, made-to-order custom manufacturing with no public pricing disclosure. The company remains family-founded and American-owned with no disclosed private equity or institutional investor involvement, and no public revenue, M&A, or leadership transition data is available in the source material.

Name

Elite Spice

Legal name

Elite Spice, Inc.

Website

https://elitespice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Elite Spice is a privately-held American spice importer and custom manufacturer, founded 1988, operating six facilities across Maryland and Nevada. It serves commercial food manufacturers with spices, seasonings, capsicums, and specialty ingredients, plus in-house microbial reduction and custom blending services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spice and Seasoning Manufacturing

NAICS

Spice and Extract Manufacturing (311942), Seasoning and Dressing Manufacturing (31194), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Whole Spices (Seeds, Pods, Bark, Roots) (AFAJANAA), Specialty & Single-Origin Spices (Geographic/Varietal, Premium Grades) (AFAJANAK), International Specialty Ingredients & Import Markets (CRAHAFAL), Pesto, Cooking Pastes & Concentrated Flavor Bases Manufacturing (AFAKADAN)

Keywords

• Spice manufacturing
• Custom seasonings
• Food ingredients
• Microbial reduction
• Spice processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Jessup

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Spice and Herb Products: Manufacturing and sale of pure spices and herbs to commercial food industry. Raw materials sourced from over 37 countries on six continents, with customized specifications for granulation and other parameters.
2. Custom Blended Seasonings: Custom seasoning recipes from library of over 40,000 unique formulations across categories including All Purpose, Bakery, Canners/Pickles/Chili, Dairy, Ethnic Blends, Pizza, Poultry, Red Meats, Seafood, Snacks, and Vegetables.
3. Capsicum Products: Specialized capsicum products including Red Pepper, Paprika, Smoked Paprika, Chili Pepper (Light/Medium/Dark Roast), Specialty Chilies (Ancho, Chipotle, Jalapeno), and Chili Powders with control over Scoville Units, Surface Color, Extractable Color, Particle Size, and Seed to Pod Ratio.
4. Onion and Garlic Products: Dehydrated onion and garlic products in various forms including Chopped, Granulated, Minced, Powder, Toasted, and Roasted.
5. Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables: Dehydrated fruit peel (Lemon Peel, Orange Peel) and vegetables including Green/Red Bell Pepper, Carrot Flakes/Granules, Celery Stalk, Chive, Horseradish Powder, Tomato Powder/Flakes/Granules.
6. Specialty Ingredients: Specialty ingredients including Spice Extractives, Oleoresins, and MSG for food manufacturing.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Elite Spice imports and processes raw spices, herbs, and botanicals sourced from over 37 countries, then manufactures pure spices, custom-blended seasonings (over 40,000 formulations), capsicums, dehydrated onion/garlic, dehydrated fruits/vegetables, and specialty ingredients for the commercial food industry. The company operates six U.S. manufacturing facilities totaling more than 800,000 square feet, integrating in-house microbial reduction, cleaning, milling, blending, and packaging capabilities.

Product overview

Elite Spice is an industry leading spice importer and custom manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of food ingredients. The product portfolio is organized as a multi-category offering centered around core manufactured products (Spices and Herbs, Seasonings, Capsicums, Onion and Garlic, Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables, and Specialty Ingredients) supported by integrated manufacturing services (Microbial Reduction, Custom Blending, Milling, Cleaning, and Packaging) and customer-facing services (Research & Development, Technical Services, and Sales Support). The company operates six U.S.-based facilities on the East and West coasts, maintaining direct control over the manufacturing process to ensure quality and safety of finished products. Their Spices and Herbs serve as the foundational raw materials, which are then transformed through Custom Blending into Seasonings—a recipe library exceeding 40,000 formulations. Specialized capabilities in Capsicums, Onion and Garlic, and Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables round out the product categories, while Specialty Ingredients including spice extractives and oleoresins provide extracted botanical options. The manufacturing services (microbial reduction using ETO/PPO, milling, cleaning, custom blending, and packaging) are integral to converting raw materials into finished products under the company's quality control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spices and Herbs Pure spices and herbs sourced from over 37 countries on six continents, manufactured to customized granulation and quality specifications for commercial food manufacturers.
• Seasonings Custom blended seasoning recipes exceeding 40,000 unique formulations across categories including All Purpose, Bakery, Canners, Pickles & Chili, Dairy, Ethnic Blends, Poultry, Red Meats, Seafood, and Snacks.
• Capsicums Specialized capsicum products including Red Pepper, Paprika (including Smoked), Chili Pepper (Light/Medium/Dark Roast), Specialty Chilies (Ancho, Chipotle, Jalapeno), and Chili Powders with controlled Heat Level, Surface Color, and Particle Size.
• Onion and Garlic Dehydrated onion and garlic products in various forms including Chopped, Granulated, Minced, Powder, Toasted (Onion) and Roasted (Garlic), sourced from both imported and domestic suppliers.
• Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables Dehydrated fruit and vegetable food ingredients including Lemon Peel, Orange Peel, Green Bell Pepper, Red Bell Pepper, Carrot Flakes/Granules, Celery Stalk, Chive, Horseradish Powder, and Tomato Powder/Flakes/Granules.
• Specialty Ingredients Specialty food ingredients including spice extractives, oleoresins, flavors, and MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) for use in food manufacturing.
• Microbial Reduction In-house microbial reduction using FDA-approved Ethylene Oxide (ETO) and Propylene Oxide (PPO) fumigants, plus third-party irradiation treatment for eliminating harmful pathogens like Salmonella and E. Coli.
• Custom Blending Custom blending capabilities with technologies including Ribbon Blenders, Tumbling Blenders, and Climate Control, with batch sizes ranging from 300 to 13,000 pounds for consistent, homogeneous seasoning production.
• Milling Spice milling using Hammer Mills, Cutting Mills, Attrition Mills, and Roller Mills tailored to specific product categories for enhanced processing capabilities.
• Cleaning Cleaning processes including De-Stoning, De-Stemming, Optical Sorting, Air Classification, Magnets, and Metal Rejection for removing unwanted plant matter and foreign material.
• Packaging Flexible packaging formats including Form Fill & Seal Pouches (4 oz.), 50 lb. poly-lined cartons, Kraft Multi-walled Bags, and Super Sacks (up to 2,000 lbs.), including pre-weighed spice packets.
• Research & Development Culinary Innovation Center equipped as a commercial kitchen with sensory facilities for product development through the stages of Ideation, Prototyping, Evaluation, Sample Approval, Pilot Trials, and Commercialization.
• Technical Services Technical support including product specifications definition, U.S. regulatory compliance, documentation services (MSDS, allergen statements, label declarations), and third-party/customer audit management.
• Sales Support Locally based sales representatives providing consultation on spice/seasoning requirements, strategic market information, and customer service coordination from Jessup and Reno locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Elite Spice eliminates harmful pathogens including Salmonella and E. Coli through validated treatment methods
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• CompostCrewminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019In 2019, the Elite Spice team evaluated their procedures and identified areas for improvement in terms of sustainability and reducing the business' carbon footprint through composting initiative.
• American Meat Institute (AMI)minorOthersElite Spice participates with trade organizations representing major segments of the food industry as an active supporter.
• Association of Dressing & Sauces (ADS)minorOthersElite Spice participates with trade organizations representing major segments of the food industry as an active supporter.
• Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP)minorOthersElite Spice participates with trade organizations representing major segments of the food industry as an active supporter.
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)minorOthersElite Spice participates with trade organizations representing major segments of the food industry as an active supporter.
• National Seasoning Manufacturers Association (NSMA)minorOthersElite Spice participates with trade organizations representing major segments of the food industry as an active supporter.
• Research Chefs Association (RCA)minorOthersElite Spice participates with trade organizations representing major segments of the food industry as an active supporter.
• Snack Food Association (SFA)minorOthersElite Spice participates with trade organizations representing major segments of the food industry as an active supporter.
• Southeastern Food Processors Association (SFPA)minorOthersElite Spice participates with trade organizations representing major segments of the food industry as an active supporter.
• Orthodox Union (OU)minorOthersKosher certification endorsement available for many Elite Spice products in observance of religious dietary requirements.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Döhler: Döhler is a German-based producer of natural ingredients, flavors, and spice-based systems for the food and beverage industry, with overlapping capabilities in custom seasoning blends, fruit and vegetable ingredients, and flavor extracts that closely mirror Elite Spice's portfolio.
• Fuchs Gewürze: Fuchs is a family-owned German spice and seasoning manufacturer with industrial and food-service offerings, including custom blends, functional ingredients, and clean-label seasonings—a direct mid-market peer to Elite Spice in custom spice manufacturing.
• Griffith Foods: Griffith Foods is a privately held custom food ingredient and seasoning blender that develops tailored seasoning systems for branded food companies globally, making it one of the closest mid-market comparables to Elite Spice in business model, customer base, and customization depth.
• Newly Weds Foods: Newly Weds Foods specializes in custom seasoning, coating, and batter systems for the food industry, particularly proteins and snacks—directly overlapping with Elite Spice's custom blending, capsicum, and seasoning capabilities for commercial food manufacturers.
• Wixon Magiar Spice: Wixon is a U.S.-based custom seasoning, sauce, and dry-blend formulator serving commercial food manufacturers, with a comparable mid-market positioning, focus on custom blends, and customer base overlapping with Elite Spice's commercial food industry segment.

Broad incumbents

• International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF): IFF is a global leader in food ingredients, flavors, and seasonings with a deep savory and spice portfolio after its DuPont N&B and Frutarom acquisitions, directly overlapping with Elite Spice's seasoning, extract, and specialty ingredient offerings at much larger scale.
• Givaudan: Givaudan is the world's largest flavors and fragrances company, supplying custom flavor systems and savory taste solutions to food manufacturers; it competes at the high end of the flavor stack that Elite Spice's specialty ingredients and R&D services address.
• McCormick & Company: The largest global spice and seasoning company, McCormick operates a substantial industrial flavor solutions business that supplies custom seasoning blends, spices, and culinary ingredients to commercial food manufacturers—the same core customer base and product categories as Elite Spice, but at vastly greater scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Sensient Technologies: Sensient manufactures flavors, colors, and extracts, including spice extracts and oleoresins—an exact overlap with Elite Spice's specialty ingredients line—and serves food and beverage manufacturers worldwide with similar B2B custom formulation capabilities.
• Kerry Group: Kerry is a major taste and nutrition ingredients supplier with deep capability in custom seasoning blends, flavors, and functional ingredients sold to food manufacturers. Its Taste & Nutrition segment directly competes with Elite Spice's custom blending and specialty ingredient offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elite-spice-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elite Spice